Skip to main content

Drug Decriminalization in Portugal

Submitted by dguard on
The Cato Institute cordially invites you to a policy forum: Drug Decriminalization in Portugal The event features Glenn Greenwald, Attorney and Best-selling Author; with comments by Peter Reuter, Department of Criminology, University of Maryland; moderated by Tim Lynch, Director, Project on Criminal Justice, Cato Institute. In 2001, Portugal began a remarkable policy experiment, decriminalizing all drugs, including cocaine and heroin. Some predicted disastrous results—that drug addiction rates would soar and the country would become a haven for "drug tourists." Now that several years have passed, policy experts can study the results. In a new paper for the Cato Institute, attorney and author Glenn Greenwald closely examines the Portugal experiment and concludes that the doomsayers were wrong. There is now a widespread consensus in Portugal that decriminalization has been a success. The debate in Portugal has shifted rather dramatically to minor adjustments in the existing arrangement. There is no real debate about whether drugs should once again be criminalized. Join us for a discussion about Glenn Greenwald's field research in Portugal and what lessons his findings may hold for drug policies in other countries. A luncheon follows the event. Cato Policy Forums and luncheons are free of charge. To register, visit www.cato.org, fax (202) 371-0841, or call (202) 789-5229 by 12:00 p.m.Thursday, April 2. News media inquiries only (no registrations), please call (202) 789-5200. If you can’t make it to the Cato Institute, watch this Forum live online at www.cato.org.
Location

Cato Institute
1000 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, DC
United States

Permission to Reprint: This content is licensed under a modified Creative Commons Attribution license. Content of a purely educational nature in Drug War Chronicle appear courtesy of DRCNet Foundation, unless otherwise noted.