You walk up to a Dutch policeman, and ask where to get some marijuana. But in 1976, the Dutch legalised the possession of small amounts. Some say that crime has soared, schoolchildren drop out, and heroin addiction is rife. Others insist the Netherlands is a stoned paradise of peace and love. I've visited their parks.
Most comments seems to seem to depend on the speaker's politics.
Trends in use have generally been the same as in other countries. The percentage who regularly use either cannabis or hard drugs is lower in the Netherlands than in many European countries, including Britain. And the number of hard drug addicts in the Netherlands has not increased for a decade, while their average age is rising. Dutch statistics, however, are far from conclusive. The first national survey of drug use in the Netherlands is only just being done.