Support for marijuana legalisation in polls

TWO polls released yesterday showed strong support in the Netherlands for legalising marijuana outright after several decades of a tolerance policy.

Newspaper Trouw interviewed the mayors of the Netherlands’ 30 largest cities, and two-thirds supported legalisation. Meanwhile, Dutch pollster Maurice de Hond found that 49% of Dutch support legalisation, while an additional 15% want tolerance to continue, and just 33% want a more restrictive policy.

Marijuana is technically illegal in the Netherlands, though people aren’t prosecuted for possession of small amounts. It is sold openly in some cafés.