Europe: In Opinion Poll, Romanians Reject Marijuana Legalization
Last month, a Romanian presidential committee recommended decriminalizing the possession of "soft" drugs, implementing needle exchange programs, and legalizing prostitution. A poll this month suggests the committee and President Traian Băsescu have some work to do in winning over the Romanian public -- at least on the drugs issue.
Traian Băsescu
Băsescu came to power in 2004 as head of the Alliance for Truth and Justice, a coalition consisting of the Democratic and National Liberal parties, and vowed to institute reforms in the former communist satrapy. His Presidential Committee for the Analysis of Social and Demographic Risk was part of that pledge.
"Drug abuse needs to be discouraged, but with the adequate difference made between soft drugs and hard drugs, especially the ones injected such as heroin, which have devastating negative effects," the report said. But the report also called for "disincrimination (sic) of drug consumption -- but not of trafficking -- to bring consumers to the surface."
According to another eResearch poll, Romanians are going for bringing sex work in from the cold. That poll found that 56% supported legalizing prostitution, while only 37% opposed it.
digg
redditNot True
Comment posted by Divinorum on Thu, 11/19/2009 - 12:14amI don't think only 34% of Romanians agree "soft drugs" legalization .
Another poor poll analysis by DRCnet.
Comment posted by Account deleted at user request. on Thu, 11/05/2009 - 7:26amPlease change the title of this article to "Europe: In Opinion Poll, Romanians Oppose 'light drugs' Legalization". Please do not do the work of our enemies by incorrectly characterizing poll results. The poll did not ask about marijuana legalization. It asked "Do you agree or disagree with legalizing the consumption of 'light' drugs in Romania?"
Any poll that does not also ask specifically whether people support or oppose fines versus jail time for possession of small amounts of marijuana is a poor poll. Also, I think that 34% for, versus 59% against, legalization of light drugs is encouraging, and not discouraging. Drugs are not "legal" even in Holland, Portugal, etc.. Decriminalization is where the real change is happening. DRCnet needs to get out of the moronic Libertarian for-or-against legalization mindset.