Since that time, the number of cannabis users has steadily decreased, and it has also become the lowest in the entire European Union. This only proves that part of the appeal for this and other drugs stems from the fact that it remains illegal. It reminds me of the story about the kid and the candy bowl. If a child is brought up in a home where there is a bowl of chocolate on the coffee table every day, as he grows the availability of the chocolate will cause him to loose interest. However, as soon as he has a friend over to play who happened to grow up in a home where candy was never available is going to want to devour the entire bowl. Much like inexperienced young Americans who venture to Europe to seek what is unavailable in the states. European natives are used to the commonality of being able to sit in the family pub and serve brew when they are only fifteen or sixteen, however, if an American of the same age is even able to sit in that same pub he would be getting wasted. .
Referring back to the topic at hand, due to the legalization of marijuana in the Netherlands, the numbers of Dutch using harder drugs has also taken a drastic fall; countering the argument that legalizing Marijuana would lead as a gateway to more dangerous substances. The numbers of organized crime have also seriously dropped. In turn, the government has been able to control the sale of the product and more importantly become an advocate for "drug tourism". Many other countries, including Canada, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany and England have taken great strides towards legalization and the results have been equally positive. .
Marijuana users have been forced in to what has become an illegal sub-culture, since it was criminalized in the 1930s. Enormous drug cartels have sprung into existence to satisfy the demand for cannabis and despite the heavy penalties; especially in the U.