"Decriminalization seems to have taken some pressure off of the Portuguese criminal justice system. In 2000, approximately 14,000 people were arrested for drug-related crimes in Portugal.151 This number dropped to an average of 5,000 to 5,500 people per year after decriminalization.152 The number of people that the police have cited for administrative drug use offenses has also remained constant at about 6,000 per year.153 Therefore, there has not been a great surge in contact between drug offenders and the Portuguese police after decriminalization.154"
Woods, Jordan Blair, "A Decade after Drug Decriminalization: What can the United States learn from the Portugese Model?" University of the District of Columbia Law Review (Washington, DC: The University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law, 2011) Volume 15, Number 1, p. 23.
http://www.udclawreview.com/w…
