| Copenhagen. |
Copenhagen officials are considering a measure that would create a three-year legalization study to help curb gang activity and create a “better life for average cannabis users.” Interestingly, the current proposal calls for cannabis to be imported from Colorado and Washington where voters recently passed bills legalizing small amounts of cannabis for personal use.
“If we get the three-year trial, it will be important to work as quickly and effectively as possible, so we are looking abroad for where we could import cannabis,” Michael Warming, deputy mayor for social affairs in Copenhagen, told the Copenhagen Post. “Yes, we are looking at Colorado and Washington, but we’re also looking at places like Great Britain, where there is state-controlled production of marijuana for medical purposes.”
Unfortunately, the Danes haven’t really looked into the reality of this with regards to American law. International distribution would certainly be illegal on the federal level, even if the two states have approved of recreational cannabis use for their citizens. And so far, neither state has given approval for even a single state-regulated recreational cannabis shop to open. So far, Copenhagen officials have not reached out to officials in the United States on the matter – but a meeting with Washington officials is scheduled for Friday.
Warming said that while importing marijuana from those states might violate international treaties, Denmark already imports illegal heroin for state-sponsored “injection rooms”.
If passed, the bill would likely make cannabis use legal for Denmark residents 18-and-up. The proposal would not legalize cannabis purchases for non-residents in an attempt to curtail the “hash tourism” so popular in Amsterdam and the Netherlands.
“This is common sense,” Warming said. “As local politicians, we are closer to reality. The ban on cannabis has failed. People can get it anywhere, it is mixed with harder drugs and it finances crime. If we get the trial, which would be a three-year experiment, we will try it and then see what the results are. If it is successful, we will work towards permanent legalization in Copenhagen and the whole of Denmark.”
