14,000 signatures on a petition to legalize cannabis in Taiwan

They've had enough of living in a country where smoking cannabis can lead to two years in prison, and selling it to life. Several dozen young Taiwanese demonstrated for the cannabis legalization in front of the Ministry of Justice. Some were disguised as cannabis flowers, others held giant fake joints in their hands.

On this independent Asian island de facto but claimed by China, the organizers of the demonstration also gathered 14,000 signatures to push the law forward. Quite a feat for a country of 23 million inhabitants.

The rules surrounding cannabis are extremely strict. The demonstrators therefore want the Ministry of Justice's anti-drug campaigns to stop targeting cannabis users. They are also hoping for decriminalization, given that the UN has reclassified cannabis.

A sign that cannabis is a taboo subject in Taiwan: the police attempted to suppress the demonstration. The videos show the officers asking the demonstrators to disperse. According to the police, the demonstration was illegal because it started early.

«If you start using cannabis, you'll start using heroin».»

But perhaps things are slowly changing. The Taiwanese government recently proposed reducing penalties for personal use of cannabis. Some politicians also took part in a pro-legalization demonstration last year, such as independent MP Freddy Lim.

Cannabis is still frowned upon throughout Asia. «Our whole education teaches us, basically, that cannabis is a drug that poisons us, and that if you start smoking cannabis today, tomorrow you'll be taking heroin, you will rob people, and you will kill for money».», joked lawyer Zoe Lee, who attended the demonstration, in the Hong-Kong Free Press.

Changing mentalities could also require help from our Asian neighbors. Thailand wants to become «Asia's Amsterdam». The country has recently decriminalized cannabis use. Consumption could thus be authorized in some places, even if the government won't go «to coffee shops». It won't be quite Amsterdam, but it's already a lot.