Dutch people are always high, right? Wrong. They rarely are.
In fact, the most frequent coffeeshop customers are foreigners.

Actually the Netherlands rank pretty low in terms of cannabis consumption if you compare it to other countries. Less than the Czech Republic, the United States, France, Greenland, or even Liechtenstein.

This alone would not be that interesting. But weed is legal in Holland. So does legalisation actually decrease drug usage? Could that be true? Could the war on drugs be completely pointless?

Luckily I live in the Netherlands, which enabled me to talk to some locals. Here are a few reasons for Dutch people not to get high on cannabis:

1. It is legal.
This is so obvious, it almost hurts. If something is legal you take away the tickling sensation of forbidden deeds. I would say that people in other countries even identify with marihuana and it's effects. In Holland it is just legal. It is boring.

A coffeshop with a very creative name

You could walk into a coffeeshop at any time and buy high-quality weed. But you really do not have to. Yeah, sure you could smoke a joint at any time you want to. Be it today, or tomorrow, or next week, or in the winter, or in two years, or when you are retired. Or not at all. It just doesn't matter.

2. Education
Kids in the Netherlands learn about drugs in school. Naturally, they are also told about the effects of Marihuana.

Education done right

If you know what a substance is and what it does, the shroud of mystery surrounding it vanishes. This in conjuction with the first reason is a very effective way of making weed uninteresting. You know what it does and you could always try it.

3. Bad reputation
A stoner will always be a bit looked down upon in the Netherlands. Just because it is legal does not mean that the negative stereotypes concerning potheads are vanishing. They are still seen as lazy and dumb. And they loose the aura of coolness, surrounding those who engage in illegal activities. In Holland they are just intoxicated guys. Nothing else.

Just intoxicated guys

Okay, so weed is legal and people do not smoke it. But what drugs do they do instead?

Ecstasy
One could argue that once the excitement of doing soft drugs like Alcohol or weed is taken away by legalisation, people turn to the forbidden fruits of chemical pleasure. Doing Ecstasy is quite widespread amongst young people in Holland. Maybe more than in other countries in Europe. Go to any party with a younger crowd, even when they are under 18, and you will see a lot of spaced out people. A LOT.

Gabber. A 90's subculture spawned in Rotterdam. Focused on hard fast music and a lot of drugs. I think most gabbers are extinct by now.

But of course you have to consider one thing: The Netherlands are still one of the worlds major Ecstasy manufacturers. Dutch pills are generally praised as having top-notch quality, while being quite affordable. Getting high on E is actually cheaper than getting drunk. Its availability paired with a good quality and cheap prices definitely plays a part in the drugs popularity.

So what?
Should we legalise drugs? There is definitely pro arguments for that. But also good ones against it.

So think for yourself and form your own opinion. I'm not your father.