Reflection 11-A: The Straight Dope—Understanding International Drug Laws

Note: If you were unable to complete Reflection 10, you have two options. Choose either Reflection 11-A or Reflection 11-B. Do only one.

We are all familiar with drug laws in the United States. On the federal level, 100% of all  recreational drugs are illegal. It's roughly the same at the state and local level, with the exception of marijuana, which is medicinally available in several states (i.e. California, Maine, Hawaii) and legal only in Colorado and Washington. And while opposition to America's "War on Drugs" is growing, our country is unlikely to dramatically change course anytime soon. How do international laws and attitudes on drugs compare to our own? What countries take a different approach to illegal drugs than us? What can we learn from other countries and what can some from the United States? Finally, what should tourists know about drug laws in certain countries? For example, how can a seemingly drug-accepting society actually spell trouble for tourists engaging in narcotics?

Include at least three of the following pieces in your discussion:

• "Drug Use Map of the World" (Guardian)
• "How Latin America May Lead the World in Decriminalizing Drug Use" (Time) 
• "Drugs in Portugal: Did Decriminalization Work?" (Time) 
• "The World's Scariest Places to be Busted for Drugs" (The Fix)
• "World's Best Places to Get High" (Salon)
• "UAE: Death Sentence Handed Down to Briton Convicted on Drug Charges" (Huffington Post)

Requirements:

• MLA Style
• Two full pages in length
• Works cited page

Due: Th 05.09