Drug users should not go to jail - BBC Question Time - 26/01/11

I've been hearing this line about the success of Portugal being based on a flawed report quite a lot recently. Looks like the audience lapped it up judging by how much they were clapping. Anyone know what the real stats are and how reliable? I can't help thinking that if Portugal has seen such bad results as claimed then why haven't they reversed the law in the last decade?

Edit: I found some background on this...
http://laiglesforum.com/cato-portugal-drug-study-based-on-false-government-data/2602.htm

It seems the "flawed" report is the Cato report. The "flaw" is the perceived libertarian agenda of Cato. Would be good to get a wider picture on this. Are there other reports on Portugal that show the same results as the Cato report?
 
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That seems to be quite a balanced report from a reputable source. I can see how the figures can be twisted by the DM when the general increase in drug use in the EU isn't taken into account.

As for the rest of that DM reporter's rant. She was saying there is a "trillion dollar" campaign for drug legalisation? Trillion dollars? Someone, somewhere has more money than any organisation or individual in the world and they are clearly not getting their money's worth??? And the usual "someone's been spreading dangerous ideas!", which is kind of rich coming from an industry that supposedly values free speech so highly. The message seems to be that legalisation is so "bonkers" that it's a crime just to mention it.

I still don't know why she got so much applause when most of the questions and statements from the audience were clearly in favour of Richard Branson.
 
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