Richard Branson, english magnate, Virgin Group owner, and cannabis activist, explains the back door problem in Netherland's coffee shops, and gives a solution to fix it. Coffee Shops in Holland are allowed to sell marijuana legally, but are not allowed to grow it nor distribute it. Sir Richard explains a solution called "transparent chain" to avoid incentive black market.
Richard Branson wants to fix the Holland's "back door" problem with marijuana, and explains a simple solution to avoid black market.
Marijuana has been legally sold for long in Netherlands, making this country one of the most liberal in drug policies.
Even with the liberal policy, exist a serious problem in dutch coffee shops: All marijuana sold, is grown and distributed illegally.
Despite legalizing the sale of marjuana, Holland's policymakers have yet to legalize its production. This means that all the product that comes in to coffee shops must go through a "back door", creating a thriving black market that has incentive to choose coffee shops over drug dealers as customers.
As a British business magnate and drug reform advocate, Richard Branson explains, all these problems could be solved by permitting businesses to grow and distribute marijuana to the country's coffee shops.
It's not easy, as many have found out. Despite obvious logic behind the proposal, Branson notes that politics continue to get in the way.
The solution is there and clear. The only question is: When will policymakers start to listen?
"It will take courage to open up and professionalize the cultivation of, and the trade in, cannabis. Acourage that is currently lacking. Instead, recent government policy is being characterized by politics of sylmbolism"