What would Schwarzenegger find in Europe that would argue against the legalization of drugs in the United States?
The evidence you have from Europe is mostly not about legalization. It’s mostly about decriminalization. The Netherlands is the one exception, where cannabis can basically be bought and sold openly in regulated shops. He would find evidence that when you rolled back the criminal law you don’t all of the sudden have an explosion in drug use; you don’t have all sorts of other problems. Q: In Europe are they taxing drugs like marijuana or heroin the way we tax alcohol? A: No. The closest is The Netherlands, where the government has found innovative ways to insure that the people involved in selling cannabis in the coffee shops do pay some taxes. Q: Obviously, there are many people who disagree with you 180 degrees. What’s the weakest part of your argument for legalization of drugs? A: The area where the evidence is not conclusive and where people can legitimately disagree, is what would be the consequences if you actually made not just marijuana but a whole range of other drugs more legal
