Introduction

  If not already, most of you have heard that Amsterdam has a ridiculous, or what some say, an amazing policy against drugs such as marijuana. If you've only just found out now and feel this is crazy or awesome, you have yet to be introduced to another city also with fame, but not for its underground fame, but for its beautiful city, Prague. Now why would I say that this beautiful city has an obnoxious underground fame? And why should you believe me?

Freedom!

  This topic has always been something I have wanted to share with people, simply because I want to share what I have seen while I was living in the Czech Republic. During the months I have spent in Czech Republic, I cannot describe how some things work over there. It's like living in a whole different universe. Although I have lived half my life in this pretty free country, New Zealand, and I have never thought I would go or see another city with more freedom than Amsterdam, I am still shocked by the Czech Republic culture.

  So, before I arrived Czech Republic, my friend has been telling me how the Czech Republic has an incredibly free law on drug possession, and kept saying that I would have to see for myself to believe it. And he was correct. As I moved into my dormitory, everything seemed normal, nothing out of the ordinary. Soon, I gained some European friends, which then led to my European or should I say, the Czech Republic cultural education. 

A Shocker

  Here's the amazing part. In my life, I thought I will never and EVER be asked if I have ever used marijuana during my stay, from my principal. Yes, my principal. She is a local Czech, and is the principal of the school I attended. One day, she asked me if I have ever used marijuana, in a cheerful delighted tone of voice. I was left speechless, utterly speechless. She followed on and told me that to the Czechs, marijuana is not even considered a drug, it is seen as an entertainment, nothing serious at all.

  There is absolutely no reason to doubt my principal. I could smell drugs everywhere I went. On the streets no matter crowded or empty, in the big city Prague, night clubs, train stations, on trains, and even in the dormitory with dorm receptionist ladies guarding the front. It really REALLY seems like to the Czechs, drugs like marijuana or magic mushrooms are simply a pass time drug and nobody takes it serious.

Decriminalizing?

  Only recently, The Czech Republic changed their policy for drug possession. Before 2009, the law only states that people are allowed “small amounts” of certain drugs. But on January 1^st 2001, the “small amounts” has finally been changed and now has a definition and amount of “small amounts” one is allowed to carry. You are allowed to possess 15 grams of marijuana, 1 gram of cocaine, 4 tablets of ecstasy, and 1.5 grams of heroine, without any criminal charges. Anything more than that amount may be arrested and sent to court or receive a fine, but also may receive merely a warning from the police.
  Authorities say that this law change is for the purpose of decriminalizing the use and possession of drugs. So does this mean people who will or might intake drugs increase? In concept, if this new law has really decriminalized drugs, more addicts and HIV/AIDS cases would increase. But according to Dr. Ivan Douda (2010), “one would expect their use would have increased, which hadn't happened. As for HIV/AIDS, of the 157 new HIV cases recorded last year, just four were intravenous drug users. 75% of hard drug users regularly came forward to get themselves tested.” Apparently, this change of law did not really decriminalize drug use. And situations remain the same in The Czech Republic.

To Conclude...

  It is now a known fact that Czech's drug policies are much much more liberal than most of the other European policies. Tourists have now found a new place for them to “experience”. Now that people have realized how liberal The Czech Republic is, this place has become a new paradise for drug users. Some say that The Czech Republic is now the Amsterdam of the East, but is that really the case?

References

Benjamin Cunninham (2009). New drug guidelines are Europe's most liberal. Retrieved September 19, 2011, from

http://www.praguepost.com/news/3194-new-drug-guidelines-are-europes-most-liberal.html

Czech News Agency (2011). Legal Drug Shop In Prague. Retrieved September 17, 2011, from

http://praguemonitor.com/2011/02/28/legal-drug-shop-open-prague

Johan Huizinga (2009). Czech drug policy goes Dutch. Retrieved September 19, 2011, from

http://www.rnw.nl/english/article/czech-drug-policy-goes-dutch

Melanie Sevcenko (2010). Prague: The new Amsterdam?. Retrieved September 19, 2011, from

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/czech-republic/101127/marijuana-laws

Rob Cameron (2010). Liberal drug laws- is the Czech Republic the Amsterdam of the East?. Retrieved September 19, 2011, from

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,5815996,00.html

Ryan Scott (2010). Czech Drug Laws. Retrieved September 17, 2011, from

http://www.expats.cz/prague/article/czech-culture/czech-drug-laws/