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Without paywall: https://archive.is/v5UA8 https://archive.is/v5UA8

• kranke155 3y ago
  Thank you. Finally read it, and like I thought, it's completely incoherent with the idea that "The Portuguese are having second thoughts." It's mostly a complaint piece by Porto mayor Rui Moreira. Joao Goulao, the actual architect of the program points to what actually happened. "João Goulão — head of Portugal’s national institute on drug use and the architect of decriminalization — admitted to the local press in December that “what we have today no longer serves as an example to anyone.” Rather than fault the policy, however, he blames a lack of funding. After years of economic crisis, Portugal decentralized its drug oversight operation in 2012. A funding drop from 76 million euros ($82.7 million) to 16 million euros ($17.4 million) forced Portugal’s main institution to outsource work previously done by the state to nonprofit groups, including the street teams that engage with people who use drugs."