Dutch politicians fight drugs rap duel

[method77]

The Dutch justice minister, a dour Calvinist named Piet Hein Donner, has astonished his countrymen by fighting a "rap duel" with the mayor of Maastricht over drug laws.

Those pushing for the liberalisation of laws on the growth and sale of cannabis have been rallying around a record by an established band featuring guest vocals by the mayor.

Maastricht is close to the border with Germany and Belgium and attracts some 1.5 million "drug tourists" a year, who cram into "coffee shops" where use of the drug is tolerated.

Its mayor, Gerd Leers, lent his modest rapping talents to a song calling for an end to the anomaly whereby cannabis use is not prosecuted but its sale and production is.

His song, That's just dope, was released as a single a few weeks ago and attracted favourable publicity. Lines from the mayor's song run:

"A joint is allowed, as long as the grower is never seen,

Weed-a-weed-a-weed-a-weed

That's ridiculous, isn't it?

Don't be so hypocritical,

Allowing half doesn't work."

more...

[vernarial]

Thats pretty funny, but the subject is serious. :)

[megabitch]

That Mr. Leers has got the monkey by the tail!

He is a mayor with good sence and he realises that weed-tourists are TOURISTS!

And besides that, legalisation has more to offer:

controling the quality AND the pollution (insectiside and so on)

getting it out of the criminal circuit.

For those of you who do NOT live in the Netherlands: Lots of home-growers are using very unsafe ways to connect the electricity-wires that are needed for lamps and fans. It is not unusual that a weed-grower is detected AFTER a house fire....

It is SO hypocritical: Coffeeshops are allowed to SELL, but NOT to BUY......

[method77]

I wish we had laws like that but at least courts are easy on smokers here. In order to get serious punishment you have to carry a huge amount

[Shawn]

Rapping about drugs. What will people think of next? ;)