Pubdate: Sat, 10 Mar 2001
Source: San Jose Mercury News (CA)
Copyright: 2001 San Jose Mercury News
Contact:  750 Ridder Park Drive, San Jose, CA 95190
Fax: (408) 271-3792
Website: http://www.sjmercury.com/
Forum: http://forums.bayarea.com/webx/cgi-bin/WebX

SWISS GOVERNMENT DECIDES TO LEGALIZE POT USE

The Swiss government Friday endorsed a draft law that would legalize the 
consumption of marijuana and hashish and allow a limited number of "dope 
shops."

The bill submitted to parliament seeks to bring Swiss law in line with the 
reality that one-fourth of the people aged 15-24 regularly use the drugs in 
the Alpine state, according to a poll commissioned last month by the Swiss 
government.

"Decriminalizing the consumption of cannabis and the acts leading up to 
this takes account of social reality and unburdens police and the courts," 
the government said in a statement.
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