Portugal have made the decision that although drugs are bad (in their opinion), the users of drugs are not bad people, but rather the victims of bad people (the dealers).
"the users of drugs are not bad people, but rather the victims of bad people (the dealers)"
Why need a user of drug be a victim of anyone?
There's a difference between drug use (which can be constructive, or at least not harmful) and drug abuse. We should not equate the two.
Drugs (especially psychedelics, but also cannabis) could be hugely beneficial to people when used constructively. When people benefit from such constructive drug use, they should be thanking those who provide them those drugs, and not putting those people in jail or demonizing them as "bad people".
> Drugs could be hugely beneficial to people when used constructively
I don't disagree with you. I'm just saying that the viewpoint of the Portuguese government is that any use of drugs (outside the legal ones) is abuse, and that the abusers are the victims.
They're saying that it is still inherently bad for people to be taking drugs, but that drug users are not bad people.
Portugal have made the decision that although drugs are bad (in their opinion), the users of drugs are not bad people, but rather the victims of bad people (the dealers).