Last December, at the International Drug Policy Reform Conference, the Dutch psychiatrist Fredrick Polak asked Antonio Costa how he could explain that the average use of cannabis in the Netherlands is lower than it’s surrounding countries, even though it is freely available? His question at that time was not answered.
During a Narcotic Drugs Commission meeting in Vienna, earlier this year, Polak asked his question again, to which Costa repeatedly avoided to answer.
For Costa, who is a proponent for world wide prohibition of cannabis, it all seemed quite confrontational as he visibly struggled with the issue on camera after Dr. Polak posed the same question and referring to their last meeting in New Orleans.
This is the transcript of that conversation:
FP: ”My name is Fredrick Polak from the European organization Encod.”
”I doubt you’re open to be challenged. I had a bad experience in that respect with you sir. I’m sorry to say and that was at the New Orleans Conference.”
This is contrary to the theory of prohibition
”I asked you a very simple question, twice I asked you this question, and you refused to answer and you started to stray away and talk about other things, but you did not answer the question, so I’ll do it again now, if I may, a simple question…”
”In Holland cannabis is available for everybody who wants to use it, and who is an adult (over 18 years). So, there are no restrictions on the personal use of cannabis and the possession of small quantities, yet the levels of use of cannabis in Holland are lower than in the countries surrounding us.”
”And I said to you, this must be a problem for you. I’d like to know how explain this, because this is contrary to the theory of prohibition, this is contrary to how the whole system here is working, and you refused to answer this question. So I ask you again…”
AC: ”No.. my ‘friend’ I did not refuse, actually I got into trouble, because as you …(inaudiable)… this very point of the Netherlands and I made certain statements, that were then picked up by the Dutch press and they were used in a formal statement about stigmatising my own behaviour in the Netherlands. so I did not, I didn’t recall you personally, sorry…” (evading eye-contact)
We are not a debating society, want to solve the world drug problem
”The answer comes from the Netherlands themselves, for example from the very same mayor of Amsterdam, did you know, no more then 14 years ago there where 2600 Coffeeshops.. selling marijuana and the Netherlands have been decreasing in number and size progressively there are about 550 now, and the administration of Amsterdam decided to move them out of the city, out of the red district towards the borders, of Germany Belgium and the Netherl… eh sorry France, obviously making clear that the government itself, the administration could see the experiment to fail ..(inaudiable)… Period!”
— Costa trying to move on to the next question..
FP: ”Do you think this is an answer to my question?”
AC: ”Well if it’s not, forget it!”
FP: ”This is your willingness to be challenged?
AC: ”We, I’m not here for a deep personal debate, we are not a debating society, we want to solve the world drug problem, Period. Please sir, I’m ruling you out of order, ok? Period!”
FP: ”No, I posed you a question, which is really central to the issue here. How do you explain the fact that in Holland the levels of use of cannabis are lower then in the surrounding countries, this is a very clear question, and I would like to know, you must have an explanation for it?”
AC: ”The Mayor of Amsterdam has decided that its… (inaudiable)… Period.”
FP: ”You’re mistaken him with the Mayor of Maastricht, that’s the first thing, and whether it’s… (mic cut off)”
Costa turns away from the conversation and asks “Do we have a question on the left?”
