Portugal Colonial - High time: Dutch savour legal pot trial

A great misconception abroad is that dope is already legal in the Netherlands -- home to the world-famous coffee shops (which actually sell pot) and seen as a huge draw for cannabis smokers.

But in fact, the drug exists in a legal grey area, which the government hopes to stub out with the four-year trial starting in Breda and Tilburg and expanding to other parts of the country.

The consumption of small quantities of cannabis is technically illegal but police choose not to enforce the law as part of a so-called "tolerance" policy in place since the 1970s.

However, the production of cannabis and supply to coffee shops is both illegal and not tolerated, meaning producers and coffee shop owners have to operate in the shadows.

This has led to gangs getting involved, with a related rise in petty crime and anti-social behaviour that local officials hope to stop with the legal pot experiment.

Production will be limited to a handful of farms, whose cannabis will be closely monitored before supply to coffee shops.

Consumers are guaranteed a high-quality product, whereas before it was impossible to know where the cannabis came from -- or whether it had been altered.

The level of THC and CBD, the active ingredients of cannabis, will also be measured, so users will know how strong their joint is.

The Dutch move comes amid a general trend of decriminalising the use of cannabis.

Neighbouring Germany has approved a law legalising the purchase and possession of cannabis for recreational use. Adults can have up to 25 grammes and grow up to three plants.

The drug is available in some pharmacies in Switzerland, which is also flirting with decriminalising its recreational use.

Adult recreational use of Cannabis is already legal in about 20 American states.

During the Dutch experiment, independent researchers will monitor the trial with a view to eventual decriminalisation.

One unknown hanging over this policy -- and indeed all policies -- is the Geert Wilders factor, after the far-right leader won elections last month.

His PVV Freedom Party wants to scrap the "tolerance" policy for good, close coffee shops, and push for a "drug-free Netherlands."

They were placed bottom of the parties to vote for in the last election by "cannabis-kieswijzer.nl", a website that ranks political parties by their cannabis-friendly policies.

G.Machado--PC