Drugs Map of Britain - Netflix

A landmark series exploring the drugs of choice in different parts of the UK. From Mamba in Wolverhampton to Heroin in Manchester, this series lifts the lid on the narcotic landscape of Britain today.

Drugs Map of Britain - Netflix

Type: Documentary

Languages: English

Status: Running

Runtime: 30 minutes

Premier: 2016-04-04

Drugs Map of Britain - Drug policy of the Netherlands - Netflix

While recreational use, possession and trade of non-medicinal drugs described by the Opium Law are all technically illegal under Dutch law, official policy since the late 20th century has been to openly tolerate all recreational use while tolerating the other two under certain circumstances. This pragmatic approach was motivated by the idea that a drug-free Dutch society is unrealistic and unattainable, and efforts would be better spent trying to minimize harm caused by recreational drug use. As a result of this gedoogbeleid (lit. “tolerance policy” or “policy of tolerance”), the Netherlands is typically seen as much more tolerant of drugs than most other countries. Legal distinctions are made in the Opium Law between drugs with a low risk of harm and/or addiction, called soft drugs, and drugs with a high risk of harm and/or addiction, called hard drugs. Soft drugs include hash, marijuana, sleeping pills and sedatives, while hard drugs include heroin, cocaine, amphetamine, LSD and ecstasy. Policy has been to largely tolerate the sale of soft drugs while strongly suppressing the sale, circulation and use of hard drugs, effectively separating it into two markets. Establishments that have been permitted to sell soft drugs under certain circumstances are called coffee shops. Laws established in January 2013 required visitors of coffee shops to be Dutch residents, but these laws were only applied in Zeeland, North Brabant and Limburg after much local criticism. Possession of a soft drug for personal use in quantities below a certain threshold (5 grams of cannabis or 5 cannabis plants) is tolerated, but larger quantities or possession of hard drugs may lead to prosecution. Prosecution for possession, trade and (in some rare cases) use are typically handled by the municipal government except where large-scale criminal activity is suspected. Notably absent from toleration of drugs is its production, particularly the cultivation of weed. This has led to a seemingly paradoxical system where coffee shops are allowed to buy and sell soft drugs but where production is nearly always punished. Because coffee shops have to get their goods from somewhere, criticism has been raised over the years against continued prosecution of soft drug producers. It was first challenged in court in 2014 when a judge found two people guilty of producing weed in large quantities but refused to punish them. A breakthrough occurred in early 2017, when a slight majority in the House of Representatives allowed for a law to pass that would partly legalize production of weed. In late 2017, the newly formed coalition announced that they would seek to implement an experimental new system in certain cities where coffee shops could legally acquire weed from a state-appointed producer. While the legalization of cannabis remains controversial, the introduction of heroin-assisted treatment in 1998 has been lauded for considerably improving the health and social situation of opiate-dependent patients in the Netherlands.

Drugs Map of Britain - Public health - Netflix

Large-scale dealing, production, import and export are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, even if it does not supply end users or coffeeshops with more than the allowed amounts. Exactly how coffeeshops get their supplies is rarely investigated, however. The average concentration of THC in the cannabis sold in coffeeshops has increased from 9% in 1998 to 18% in 2005. This means that less plant material has to be consumed to achieve the same effect. One of the reasons is plant breeding and use of greenhouse technology for illegal growing of cannabis in Netherlands. The former minister of Justice Piet Hein Donner announced in June 2007 that cultivation of cannabis shall continue to be illegal.

Drugs Map of Britain - References - Netflix