Why are foreigners less tolerant of pot and supportive of legalization?

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

It seems this is the only social issue where Americans are more liberal. More US states have decriminalized marijuana in general than most other countries, and you wouldn't find anywhere in Europe that'd do what Washington and Colorado did (not even the Netherlands, which really just has a system of decriminalized marijuana with selective enforcement and now prohibits it to foreigners, while Washington and Colorado have total legalization.) It seems the only foreign country with a comparable attitude is Canada. What gives?

[Jordan]

Citizen referendums.

I bet if Belgium, the Netherlands, and Canada had citizen referendums in their countries or providences that marijuana legalization would pass.

[memphis]

After creating this thread title, you must demonstrate that your statement is true. Laws are not always reflective of people's opinion. You need to provide comparable polling to back up your statement. Otherwise, you're just making crap up.

[bedstuy]

It seems this is the only social issue where Americans are more liberal. More US states have decriminalized marijuana in general than most other countries, and you wouldn't find anywhere in Europe that'd do what Washington and Colorado did (not even the Netherlands, which really just has a system of decriminalized marijuana with selective enforcement and now prohibits it to foreigners, while Washington and Colorado have total legalization.) It seems the only foreign country with a comparable attitude is Canada. What gives?

When you say foreigners, surely you mean 1st world western countries.  America is more liberal on social issues than most countries.   

That said, I think marijuana is more prevalent in the United States than any other country.  Also, our drug war has failed spectacularly and many people are willing to give up on that project. 

[Kitteh]

i'm not necessarily sure that there is less support in the US than in other nations (it def seems to have a lot of support in Uruguay, if the views of politicians are representative of the people).

But yeah, more Americans do smoke weed than in much of Europe...
http://www.economist.com/blogs/graphicdetail/2013/08/daily-chart-3

...but that's not entirely true, for example Italy ties New Zealand for highest % in the world.

My guess would be that the country with the most support for legalization would be somewhere like Canada or NZ, but that's really just a guess.

[windjammer]

It's just Americans love "liberty" except if it's a religious question. So...

[Sbane]

America basically started the drug war, and perhaps it is the first (or at least one of the first) to realize it's failure. Also other countries aren't as draconian in enforcing it so perhaps there is more impetus in America.

[greenforest32]

Citizen referendums.

I bet if Belgium, the Netherlands, and Canada had citizen referendums in their countries or providences that marijuana legalization would pass.

I think Germany's states have initiatives so I wonder how they'd fare there?

Speaking of which, does anyone have a list of countries with (national) citizen initiatives? I assumed more countries would have them but it's actually looking to be pretty rare. Switzerland is the only prominent one I can think of at the moment.

[Hnv1]

It's not that Europe is less liberal about it, it's just not a big issue. People smoke weed throughout western Europe pretty freely but we just don't have the quantities that you have in the US.
Plus the enforcement was never as brute as in America, it was not considered more of a nasty habit than a crime as American cons think.

I've consumed cannabis in most of western Europe, and police seem to try to ignore the private consumers and focus on dealers.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

i'm not necessarily sure that there is less support in the US than in other nations (it def seems to have a lot of support in Uruguay, if the views of politicians are representative of the people).

But yeah, more Americans do smoke weed than in much of Europe...
http://www.economist.com/blogs/graphicdetail/2013/08/daily-chart-3

...but that's not entirely true, for example Italy ties New Zealand for highest % in the world.

My guess would be that the country with the most support for legalization would be somewhere like Canada or NZ, but that's really just a guess.

Papua New Guinea, LOL

[Franknburger]

As to Germany: Possession of pot for personal use is, while illegal, generally tolerated. This isn't based on specific legislation, but has evolved from jurisdiction. The initial ruling was made by a local court in Lübeck, headed by Wolfgang Necovic, who later became Federal High Court (Bundesverwaltungsgericht) judge, and is currently Bundestag member for the Linke. The ruling was ultimately upheld by the Constitutional Court.
Subsequently, the practice has been formalised by State Ministers of Justice ordering prosecutors to not put such cases to court (the police, however, still has to investigate). Definition of "possession for personal use" varies from state to state between 6 grams of Hashish (Bavaria) to 16 grams (Berlin). Possession of larger quantities, and trade, however, is still a criminal offence under Federal legislation (and can as such not be removed by a state-level referendum).

The legal situation is unanimously regarded as less than ideal, however, opinions on ways forward differ. The conservative side (CDU/FDP/SPD( favours a harmonised definition of "possession for personal use", possibly through federal law, which would also free the police from investigating such cases before they are ultimately put down by state prosecutors.

The first political party to call for liberalisation were the Greens some 20 years ago. Their model orients on the Dutch one - distribution through licensed stores, governmental quality control, taxation similar to tobacco and alcohol, minimum purchaser age of 18 years (i.e. provision to minors still remains a criminal offence). The Linke have followed suit, adding that public health insurance should cover the cost of medically prescribed marijuana. More recently, the Pirates, as well as the FDP youth organisation, have also declared support to pot legalisation (as, b.t.w., the policemen's labour union).

The FDP is split on the issue. When marijuana legislation was discussed last in the Bundestag this Spring, they voted against it. However, in the meantime, their deputy parliamentary whip has come out in favour of legalisation. SPD and CDU/CSU are strictly against, though their are signs that the SPD may be reviewing their approach. The outcome of this  Sunday's federal election may be crucial in this respect - if it results in a theoretically possible SPD-Green-Linke government, the two junior partners will most likely press hard on the SPD for pot legalization. Angela  Merkel has publicly declared her opposition to legalization, as it would reduce consumption barriers, and she regarded Cannabis as more dangerous than alcohol.

In any case, all parties agree that driving under Cannabis shall remain an offence.

[Beet]

China could be the heaviest user.

[angus]

It seems this is the only social issue where Americans are more liberal.

I don't think that's the case.  Historically the US has had a great many social experiments which then later gained popularity in other parts of the world.  Anyway, I agree with Memphis that you will need to show that this is the case with some polling data.  

Also, support is not necessarily an indicator of liberality.  North Korea, for example, is one country where smoking pot is perfectly legal.  Pakistan is an example of a country where it is effectively legal since no one enforces the laws against its possession and use.  In the case of Pakistan, it is precisely the result of traditionalism that the smoking of hash and cannabis is tolerated by the authorities.  

[Link]

It seems this is the only social issue where Americans are more liberal. More US states have decriminalized marijuana in general than most other countries, and you wouldn't find anywhere in Europe that'd do what Washington and Colorado did (not even the Netherlands, which really just has a system of decriminalized marijuana with selective enforcement and now prohibits it to foreigners, while Washington and Colorado have total legalization.) It seems the only foreign country with a comparable attitude is Canada. What gives?

This is 100% false.  Have you been to any of the countries you are commenting on?  "Illegal" means something very different over there than it does over here.  A lot of those places aren't as heavily policed as the US.  The probability of even coming into serious contact with the police is much less even if the law says something is illegal.  Also if you do get busted you might get a fine or be sent to a treatment program.  You won't get life in prison.  The idea America is "land of the free" is a scam.

The reason there is such a move towards decriminaliztion in the United States is because any time something is made illegal in the US there becomes massive opportunity for abuse.  In a lot of European countries to get a jail sentence of five years requires you to behave in an extraordinarily bad fashion.  Really if you look at which country locks up more of its citizens for minor drug offenses it is very obvious the US is a huge outlier in the western world.  Our move to decriminalization is a backlash against our ridiculous criminal justice system.  Also I would much rather look for a job in Europe or run for political office with a pot conviction on my record than attempting to do the same in the US.

[angus]

Our move to decriminalization is a backlash against our ridiculous criminal justice system. 

More specifically, against the failed War on Drugs. 

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

After creating this thread title, you must demonstrate that your statement is true. Laws are not always reflective of people's opinion. You need to provide comparable polling to back up your statement. Otherwise, you're just making crap up.

It's BRTD, remember?

[politicallefty]

On a related note, I have to ask why so many Southeast Asian countries impose the death penalty for drug offenses (or even life imprisonment for that matter). That's a more serious anomaly that really should be addressed. Drug laws in the Far East tend to be extremely authoritarian.

[Hifly]

Drug smugglers are in my opinion the only underclass of heathen who come close to deserving the death penalty and/or compulsory sterilisation, and the latter penalty should also be avaliable for alcoholics.
I hardly have any sympathy for drug smugglers and consumers who are awarded the death penalty, although I do for virtually all other classes of criminals who are.

[Oakvale]

Drug smugglers are in my opinion the only underclass of heathen who come close to deserving the death penalty and/or compulsory sterilisation, and the latter penalty should also be avaliable for alcoholics.
I hardly have any sympathy for drug smugglers and consumers who are awarded the death penalty, although I do for virtually all other classes of criminals who are.

[SUSAN CRUSHBONE]

Drug smugglers are in my opinion the only underclass of heathen who come close to deserving the death penalty and/or compulsory sterilisation, and the latter penalty should also be avaliable for alcoholics.
I hardly have any sympathy for drug smugglers and consumers who are awarded the death penalty, although I do for virtually all other classes of criminals who are.

...
...
Do you have any particular reason for this?

[Link]

Drug smugglers are in my opinion the only underclass of heathen who come close to deserving the death penalty and/or compulsory sterilisation, and the latter penalty should also be avaliable for alcoholics.

You do realize alcoholism is a medical disease and that there are millions of functional alcoholics who live full lives and have very accomplished children.  Are there any other people with illnesses you would like to see forcibly sterilized?  Diabetics perhaps?

[Oakvale]

Drug smugglers are in my opinion the only underclass of heathen who come close to deserving the death penalty and/or compulsory sterilisation, and the latter penalty should also be avaliable for alcoholics.

You do realize alcoholism is a medical disease and that there are millions of functional alcoholics who live full lives and have very accomplished children.  Are there any other people with illnesses you would like to see forcibly sterilized?  Diabetics perhaps?

Given his posting history, homosexuals.

[Hash]

Drug smugglers are in my opinion the only underclass of heathen who come close to deserving the death penalty and/or compulsory sterilisation, and the latter penalty should also be avaliable for alcoholics.
I hardly have any sympathy for drug smugglers and consumers who are awarded the death penalty, although I do for virtually all other classes of criminals who are.

Please end yourself.

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

Drug smugglers are in my opinion the only underclass of heathen who come close to deserving the death penalty and/or compulsory sterilisation, and the latter penalty should also be avaliable for alcoholics.
I hardly have any sympathy for drug smugglers and consumers who are awarded the death penalty, although I do for virtually all other classes of criminals who are.

Though they're certainly not nice, what makes drug smugglers worse than arms dealers/military contractors, big alcohol/tobacco companies, or basically any large corporation that profits off of low-wage workers? I doubt the Medellín Cartel's done more harm to the world than ExxonMobil, for instance.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

It is well known that most other countries outside of America are communist dictatorships that despise even the word freedom, which is why the erased it from the state-produced dictionaries a few decades ago.