Marijuana use Amsterdam highest in the world

Costa further stated on the UN website that with its toleranceto soft drugs, the Netherlands is violating UN conventions according to the International Narcotics Control Board. Costa argued further that Amsterdam is creating a health problem caused by Availability Marihuana, and that this could get worse as cannabis becomes more potent.
 
Mr. Costa claimed that “the psycho- active component in cannabis, THC, is now more than
15% as against the 2-3 % when I was a Berkley Flower kid”. It is unclear on what data Costa base his claims. It is certainly not provided by the scientific community. Scientists hold no available data regarding THC levels over longer time periods. The simple reason for this is that no comparable measurements were taken during the earlier days of the ‘policy of
condones’ (gedoogbeleid) in the Netherlands. What is even more interesting is the fact that Mr. Costa, having been a Flower Kid’, smoked cannabis while at University.
 
The retraction of Costa’s web log entry, of which Amsterdam cannabis City still has a hard copy in its possession, may well be related to rumours that the UNODC Executive Director presented a report on his Amsterdam visit to his host, the Dutch Ministry of Health, but that this report was considered unacceptable. In contrast to Costa’s findings, studies conducted by the Trimbos Institute; the Dutch Institute for research on recreational drug use
which have been monitoring marijuana potency since 1999, showed a decrease in THC levels since 2004.

The UN Under-Secretary was explained how the government created a separation between softand hard drugs by allowing so called Coffeeshops in the early 1970’s. This eradicated the local dealers but also lead to a ‘boom’ of small Coffeeshops.
 
Even though there has been a learning curve for the government as well as for the Coffeeshops, there have been clear rules and regulations on the existing and running of such establishments.
 
When Costa asks whether they sell cigarettes, Paul proudly answers; “No, they are very unhealthy and more addictive than cannabis.” In what may be considered a Pavlovian response, Costa immediately denies this. Paul explains that out of personal experience and his expertise as a Coffeeshop owner, it is far easier to quit smoking cannabis for a day, or even a week, then having no cigarettes for a day.
 
The politition then asks the Coffeeshop owner, “Are you a criminal”?

The claim that Amsterdam smokes more marijuana than the rest of Holland, while other capitals of the world use the same amounts as in the rest of the country are yet to be supported with reliable figures.

ENCOD says: “We wait in tense anticipation of, and [are] fantasizing about Costa’s evidence selection and construction effort, to support this claim. Polak says: “Based on what we hear here, I know quite a few colleagues, specialists in different fields, who would wipe the floor with these arguments.”
 

Also check,
UN Drug Czar visits Amsterdam Coffee shop
Costa selecting and constructing evidence