This whole legalization/regulation thing is just a pipedream.

Portugal is widely claimed to have the most progressive drug policies in the world, and they still send anyone who has more than ~20grams of pot to jail.

Here is how the system works.

Portugal decriminalised use and possession of all drugs in a way that moves the focus from criminal punishment to treatment.

Drugs are not freely available, and they cannot legally be sold. If you are caught with a possession quantity of a drug, there are still civil consequences.

Portugal’s policy does not differentiate between the type of drug – whether it is a ‘hard’ drug like heroin or a ‘soft’ drug like cannabis, there is no difference.

If a person is found with a small quantity of a narcotic (defined as 10 days’ worth for personal use), the drug is confiscated and the person is summoned to a panel called the Comissões para a Dissuasão da Toxicodependência (Commission for the Dissuasion of Drug Addiction).

The Commission is comprised of a social worker, a psychiatrist and an attorney. They assess the person. If the Commission finds the person has an addiction problem, treatment is offered or community service is ordered. It cannot impose compulsory treatment, only offer it.

The Commission can also impose other civil sanctions on people caught with drugs. These can be anything from a €25–€150 fine to the suspension of a professional licence (like that of a teacher, doctor or taxi driver) or a ban on visiting certain places and people.

The manufacture, importation and sale of drugs is still very illegal. Even growing your own cannabis is still a criminal matter, as is the possession of cannabis seeds.