In the city meeting of Venstre on Tuesday, the liberal politicians declared that using drug should not be crime in Norway anymore saying, “The state must regulate its use. This may help to eradicate major criminal networks.
According to TV2, supporters of the decision suggested that ban has not preventive effect, based on a study from New Zealand showing 95 percent continued to use cannabis after conviction.
– Drugs are dangerous, it creates dependency and suffering. But the ban and the war on drugs have made problem worse. Therefore, Bergen Venstre believes it is time to regulate drugs, by not criminalizing it through a strict government monopoly, said the party representatives.
– It is important that such a large branch like Bergen now wants to take this debate, says deputy leader of the Liberal group in the Bergen City Council, Erlend Horn.
Having worked against substance abuse in Health and Social Affairs Committee of the City Council of Bergen for years, Horn tells TV2 that the local party’s decision can trigger a healthy debate at national level.
