Philippe Close (PS) wishes to decriminalise cannabis: “I can’t stand that some want to make a problem invisible in our society”

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  1. The mayor of the city of Brussels Philippe Close (PS) on Monday relaunched his plea for the removal of cannabis from the penal code.

    In Monday’s edition of the daily Le Soir and in an interview granted to La Première (RTBF), he pleads for a great national debate on this subject in view of the 2024 elections. He says he is convinced that by taking cannabis out of the criminal field, we can focus on the trafficking of hard drugs.

    “I call for a national drug plan, which combines all competences”, explains the socialist mayor. “The cities and municipalities, because they are the front-line actors, the Communities and Regions, which are competent in health and safety prevention, and finally the federal government, with the Ministers of Health and the Interior. We must stop dispersing these resources. I say: let’s do what Germany, Luxembourg, Portugal, Spain and the Netherlands are doing. Let us have a calm debate. It is not a product that should be promoted, but a product that should be managed,” he added in an interview with “Le Soir”.

    Philippe Close said he was in favour of legalisation in the long term, but in the Belgian-Belgian political context – with the French-speaking parties in favour and the Dutch-speaking parties against – he said he was ready to move forward “in stages” by going through a first step, i.e. decriminalisation, as in Quebec and thirteen American states.

    “What I can’t stand in our society is when people want to make a problem invisible. I want it to be on the agenda so that I can free up time for my police officers to work on hard drug trafficking. How many people are convicted for simple possession of cannabis? Zero! You have to have a solid supply to be prosecuted,” he said.

    Translated with http://www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

  2. Perfect time to distract from the pension discussions and make the youth happy we are getting financially fucked over

  5. Ah, again time for a politician to try to gain youth votes on cannabis legalization.

    Dude, why not just ask Quickie to actually follow up on his old promises? He’s actually in the justice department.

  6. I just hate PS so much I can’t even care. So, pro religious slaughtering and pro cannabis. Like, wtf. My God, I hope Brussels will finally turn away. But they won’t. It’s my main motivation to leave this city. What populist, corrupt, total incompetent fools.

  7. Sure, legalize it, but still send addicts to a clinic just like alcoholics. Smoking weed every day really isnt a good thing.

  10. > “Ce que je ne supporte pas dans notre société, c’est quand on veut invisibiliser un problème”

    While we are at it, can we also stop classifying the usage of mind-altering substances as a problem?

    There’s nothing wrong with someone consuming some cannabis, taking some xtc, drinking some alcohol, etc

    The problem is those not able to deal with such substances in moderation – which is a minority in need of help – as well as – and probably even more so – the crime triggered by the illegal trade in these substances.

    Edit: looks like Close’s view is actually more nuanced than La Libre makes it appear

    > Voor mij is een joint als een glas whisky: sommigen roken op zaterdagavond, anderen drinken een glas. Maar wie opstaat met een joint of een glas whisky heeft een groot probleem. We moeten blijven onthouden dat cannabis kan doden, net als alcohol of tabak.’

    https://www.standaard.be/cnt/dmf20220718_92782387

  11. Aight, see you guys next year when an other politician brings it up again…

    Couldn’t care less if it was legalized (the recriational use) but it could fix a lot of issues we have now. Also this is a market that will explode at some point, more and more eu countries are opening up to the idea. We shouldn’t miss the boat.

  12. “I can’t stand that some want to make a problem invisible in our society”

    But that’s exactly what he wants to do with the prostitution at Noordstation…

  14. It was illegalised as was lsd to make political points. Not because they are bad for your health. Now they are boycotted by the pharmaceutical industry. Legalize both and start making medicines with them.

  15. Legalize and decriminalize is super diferent.

    Look at Portugal all drugs are decriminalized since 2000!!!! Everything got better.

  16. They don’t legalize it for 3 reasons:

    1) Anything that is legal, you have to provide support for (hospital care in this case)

    2) Big Pharma will lose money since weed can (and will, trust me) be used instead of their poisonous medication.

    3) Politicians are too old to understand that their time has passed and cannot move from the « cannabis bad » era that they had, nurtured.

    Maybe 4) Big Pharma is not ready yet to make the business switch to weed and want to control the market. No legal weed unless they are ready to flood the economy before anyone else.

    Maybe 5 too) Insurance companies not liking the idea of full legal because, you guessed it…. MONEEEEEEHHHH!!

    That’s all, don’t look further.

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