US cannabis vote reignites call to legalise drugs

15 November 2012 Last updated at 19:02 ET By James Melik Reporter, Business Daily, BBC World Service

The US states of Washington and Colorado have voted to legalise the possession and sale of marijuana for recreational purposes, in defiance of federal law, setting the stage for a potential showdown with President Barack Obama's administration.

However, it reawakens the debate about whether banned drugs should go on sale legally.

Not only could such a move potentially open up a huge commercial market, but it could also become a source of tax revenue.

But it is an extremely controversial issue and even in the Netherlands, which led the way with its cannabis cafes, the policy is now being questioned.

In the Netherlands, marijuana is not formally legal, but it can be sold in small quantities in licensed coffee shops.

In one such coffee shop, on a houseboat on the river Maas in the southern Dutch town of Maastricht, Stephan explains there are about 5,000 varieties of marijuana, or cannabis, in the world.

You can never win a war against drugs, you can only control it by being realistic and pragmatic

"We sell white rhino, silver haze, amnesia, lemon haze. We sell blue cheese and yeah, it makes you more stoned. It makes you a little bit sleepy," he says.

However, new laws in the south of the country prevent foreign tourists from visiting the coffee shops. Stephan says that in the six months since the law was introduced, his sales are down by 85%.

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US cannabis vote reignites call to legalise drugs