Portugal isn't alone. From a pilot program in London that lets marijuana users off with a warning to a law in France that allows police to use discretion on tolerance, Europe has been moving toward a more practical approach to drug use.
The Portuguese law, which took effect July 1, 2001 eliminates the threat of prison for possession of small amounts of any drug. Critics have charged that it opens Portugal to the threat of drug tourism, meaning addicts or casual users lured here by the promise of using drugs without risking jail.
Backers of the measure call that view a mistake, because drugs remain illegal, with their use punishable by fines or community service--just not prison time. And being caught with even one joint could send you to the anti-addiction commission, supporters point out.
"We're trying a sort of third way between the hard approach you have in the United States and the soft approach some countries have, like Holland," said Vitalino Canas, Portugal's drug policy czar. "We are not allowing any legal use of drugs. It's not the same as in Holland."