Decriminalization is no silver bullet, says Portugal’s drug czar

Most outsiders know Portugal has decriminalized drugs. But most fail to understand that drugs remain illegal. If police find you with illicit drugs, you’ll be arrested and taken to a police station where the drugs will be weighed. If the amount is above the strictly enforced limit, you can be charged as a trafficker and jailed for 1-14 years. If the amount is below the limit, you’ll be sent the next day to the Commission for the Dissuasion of Drug Addiction, even if you’re a tourist.