All countries have laws saying which drugs people can and cannot use. In a typical country, most medicines are available only wi

All countries have laws saying which drugs people can and cannot use. In a typical country, most medicines are available only with a doctor’s prescription, and certain drugs, such as marijuana, cocaine, and heroin, are illegal under all circumstances. Such restrictions reflect the belief that increased drug use, even if it were legal, would lead to increases in crime, drug addiction, and other social ills. One nation that goes against this trend is the Netherlands, where the open use of "soft" drugs is tolerated.
    The Dutch have a strong tradition of personal liberty. The individual’s freedom of choice is highly valued. Most people in the Netherlands believe the government should stay out of personal decisions, including the decision whether to use drugs. The Dutch government does not stay totally out of such decision, but it does take a much more lenient approach than almost any other state.
    Since 1976, the law in the Netherlands has distinguished between soft drugs and hard drugs, such as heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamines. Laws permit soft drugs to be sold in coffee shops and used in hash bars, which can sell alcohol as well as soft drugs. More than 200 coffee shops in Amsterdam alone are licensed to sell soft drugs. There are limits, however. No more than five grams of a controlled drug may be sold in a single transaction and the buyer must be at least 18 years old. The coffee shop may not advertise the marijuana it sells. No person may grow more than five marijuana plants. All hard drugs are banned.
    Arguments in favour of legalised marijuana are many. Proponents say marijuana is no more dangerous than alcohol which is legal in most nations. They also point out the legitimate medical reasons for drug use: to alleviate the discomfort of an eye disease called glaucoma or nausea resulting from chemotherapy used to treat some cancers. On a very practical level, legalisation activists say that hugely expensive anti-marijuana campaigns have never worked. Instead of spending millions of dollars to keep people from using this mild drug, the government should collect taxes on it and thereby gain more control of how and where it is used.