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| Dutch, Owensboro Fighting Drugs Differently |
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Posted by FoM on February 21, 2002 at 10:59:06 PT By Mark Cooper, Messenger-Inquirer Source: Messenger-Inquirer 
Light up a marijuana "joint" in an Owensboro coffee shop and you're likely to get arrested. Do the same thing in the Netherlands and you're just part of the crowd, said visiting city officials from Veenendaal, a city of Owensboro's size in the Netherlands. But while the sale of marijuana is legal in the Netherlands, their city has less drug-related crime than Owensboro, said Veenendaal Mayor Jaap Spros. About 85 percent of Kentucky's crime is drug-related, compare to less than 50 percent in the Netherlands, Spros said. Fighting crime is just one of the things Spros, Veenendaal Police Chief Dick de Leeuw and Public Security Policymaker Ruud Engelaar have spent the last few days in Owensboro to explore. The three Dutch visitors, who arrived in Owensboro on Friday, have met with Owensboro Mayor Waymond Morris, Police Chief Allen Dixon and other city, county and state police officers. They also spent a day in Louisville and Frankfort. While here, the three toured Owensboro government offices, visited the Daviess County Detention Center and Owensboro Police Department firing range and even rode along with Daviess County sheriff's deputies. The visit is sponsored by the Owensboro Sister Cities Program. Veenendaal is a "twin city" of Olomouc in the Czech Republic, which is Owensboro's Sister City, said Bill West, executive director of the Sister Cities Program. Morris visited Veenendaal on the way home from a visit to Olomouc in 1997, West said. Olomouc has five sister cities. Spros said the Dutch delegation has so far been impressed with the level of cooperation demonstrated between so many police agencies in Kentucky. "We're very interested in (law enforcement) on the local level and how it's organized and how the public can impact policing," Spros said. Both Veenendaal and Owensboro share a healthy concern for emergency and crisis management, Spros said. And the three were surprised to see that the entire city is governed by a commission of a mayor and four commissioners, Spros said. Veenendaal has a parliament of 31 leaders from seven political parties, he said. "We went into the (Owensboro) commissioner's meeting and thought, 'Where is the parliament?' " Spros said. "It was also a surprise, an eye-opener to learn about the weapons," de Leeuw said, referring to the Kentucky laws that allow residents to buy and carry weapons. Only hunting weapons are allowed in the Netherlands. Dutch police officers do not carry guns. Marijuana is classified as a "soft drug" in the Netherlands, which means it is legal, but its use is regulated by the government, de Leeuw said. Marijuana can be purchased and smoked in public "coffee shops," but only 5 grams can be purchased a day, he said. A business can have no more than 500 grams of the drug on hand to sell at one time, de Leeuw said. Surprisingly, there are only one or two drug-related deaths a year, de Leeuw said. Most crime in Veenendaal is related to alcohol, which is also legal, he said. Because soft drugs are legal, police forces can concentrate on fighting hard drugs like cocaine and heroin, de Leeuw said. A system of separating hard drugs from soft drugs might benefit Owensboro and U.S. law enforcement in the same way, de Leeuw said. Legalizing marijuana is an odd notion to most in Owensboro, but there's nothing wrong with exchanging ideas, West said. "That's why I push this program, to get a different perspective on things," West said. "No one people has a lock on all knowledge." The visitors attended a farewell dinner Wednesday night and will return to Veenendaal today.. Source: Messenger-Inquirer (KY) Related Articles: Dutch Border Town Plans Drug Drive-Throughs Amsterdam's Smokin' Coffee Shops Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help |
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| Comment #8 posted by Toker00 on February 22, 2002 at 11:52:40 PT |
| I believe the Americans have far more to learn from the Netherlands, than vice versa. Peace. Realize, then Legalize. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #7 posted by goneposthole on February 22, 2002 at 05:45:36 PT |
| It is no wonder why. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #6 posted by DdC on February 21, 2002 at 12:54:54 PT |
| Indian Hemp Drugs Commission, 1894 "The commission has come to the conclusion that the moderate use of hemp drugs is practically attended by no evil results at all. ... ...moderate use of hemp... appears to cause no appreciable physical injury of any kind,... no injurious effects on the mind... [and] no moral injury whatever." VCL- Lawyers and Judges against the drug war LaGuardia Commission Report, 1944 Cops Against The Drug War Hemp History in Audubon 1968 UK ROYAL COMMISSION, THE WOOTTON REPORT The War on Drugs is Necessitating War on Terrorism The Report of the Australian Government 1996 Casual Drug Use Does Not Affect Employment Researchers at the University of California (UCLA) The Dope On Hemp History See Also: Proven : Cannabis is a safe medicine by Ian Williams Goddard Drug War Prisoners "Marijuana: Facts for Teens." U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Washington, D.C. 1995, p.10. Audubon Society: Legalize It! Crancer Study, Washington Department of Motor Vehicles Hemp History in Audubon Volney Brown Jr., Federal Magistrate-Judge,(retired) [ Post Comment ] |
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Comment #5 posted by Jose Melendez on February 21, 2002 at 12:49:50 PT:
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| from: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n302/a07.html?397 When Mormons shrink in horror from Starbucks but pop Paxil like Pez, they're indulging the same kind of mystification that decides U.S. drug law. Or, for that matter, that can lead pot smokers who say they self-medicate to denounce those "drones" on artificial anti-depressants. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #4 posted by E_Johnson on February 21, 2002 at 12:46:58 PT |
| Does the appointment of Bill Bennett as Drug War correspondent mean that CNN is abandoning any pretense of journalistic objectivity in coverage of the War on Drugs? Expert to ask: Columbia Journalism Review http://www.cnn.com/CNN/askcnn/ [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #3 posted by JR Bob Dobbs on February 21, 2002 at 12:41:29 PT |
| There need to be more Dutch people spreading the word of common sense worldwide. For too long, they have tried to lead by example alone, but without media attention, how could they succeed? There needs to be more Dutch people taking the message worldwide, and more U.S. politicians need to learn about the Dutch coffeeshop system. Information is power! [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #2 posted by Sam Adams on February 21, 2002 at 11:27:19 PT |
| "And the three were surprised to see that the entire city is governed by a commission of a mayor and four commissioners, Spros said. Veenendaal has a parliament of 31 leaders from seven political parties, he said. "We went into the (Owensboro) commissioner's meeting and thought, 'Where is the parliament?' " Spros said." I think he means, "where's the democracy"? I don't know - somehow it died between 1776 and now. seven parties? how about one in the U.S. - Republicats. I was trying to explain to someone recently how we're the most similar to Russia, politically and culturally. The most violent crime, people in prison, militaristic national attitude, substance abuse, etc, etc, etc. A lot closer to Russia than Western Europe IMO. [ Post Comment ] |
| Comment #1 posted by E_Johnson on February 21, 2002 at 11:06:10 PT |
| Legalizing marijuana is an odd notion to most in Owensboro, but there's nothing wrong with exchanging ideas, West said. Check with CNN, I think their new drug war correspondent Bill Bennett would heartily disagree. The visit is sponsored by the Owensboro Sister Cities Program. Veenendaal is a "twin city" of Olomouc in the Czech Republic, which is Owensboro's Sister City, said Bill West, executive director of the Sister Cities Program. This is an interesting application of the feminist slogan "Sisterhood is powerful!" [ Post Comment ] |
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