NCJ Number
138258
Date Published
1992
Length
5 pages
Annotation
The Netherlands Opium Act of 1976 divides all drugs into two categories, hard and soft; it prohibits the import, manufacture, distribution, possession, sale, transport, and export of all kinds of drugs. However, possession of small amounts of soft drugs is a misdemeanor and the punitive measures for offenses involving soft drugs are lower.
Abstract
Amsterdam's hard drug policy has the twin objectives of creating humane conditions for hard drug users with no threat to public health, and limiting the public nuisance associated with the use of illicit drugs. Police activities, based on the second goal, focus on promoting good community relations in areas where drug use is concentrated, using an active tracing policy for drug-related crimes, and combating trade in hard drugs. While the Amsterdam police concentrate on arresting large-scale hard drug dealers, they allow coffee shop owners to sell soft drugs under certain conditions. In terms of the import, export, and distribution of illicit drugs, the Amsterdam police strive to arrest drug traffickers, eliminate their organization, and seize their possessions. All police stations are involved in the city's needle exchange program; officers also participate in school drug education programs and in the local drug advisory group.