217;t officially legalized drug use, they’re well-known for their more liberal drug policy that deals with users through social services rather than through court systems. The use of small amounts of marijuana and hashish is also tolerated in practice. This type of drug policy has seemed to work out well for the Dutch. According to the Netherlands Bureau of Statistics and White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, the percentage of Dutch adults that have used cocaine is 2.1 percent in the Netherlands, compared to 10.5 percent in the United States, a figure five times as high. Marijuana has been used by 15.6 percent of the Dutch population and 32.9 percent of Americans. Use has also remained steady in the Netherlands since 1976 while it has increased in the rest of Europe, despite prohibition efforts. These figures suggest that liberalizing drug policies doesn’t necessarily lead to increased drug use. A less conservative drug policy may be the more effective treatment for America’s drug problem. Even if the legalization of more minor drugs is an approach that lacks enough public support to be put into practice, decriminalizing personal drug use nationwide is an attainable option that would benefit the economy and make the inevitable sale of drugs less dangerous in the long run....
