In US kids used to also do just that, about half a century ago now. And walk to school in many places until the 80s and 90s.
It has a decent medical system to preempt or treat psychiatric symptoms.
And it has federal level construction laws to allow housing to be built anywhere. So look up "cheapest housing in tokyo" where you can rent a tiny place for $100/month.
Japan has smartly designed and compassionate infrastructure. It's not just "culture"
Where do you think the "smartly" and "compassionate" part of the designs comes from, is approved, funded, and appreciated - if not "culture"?
The zoning is the key to the fact that there’s plenty of construction but they also have a declining population, so that helps.
You can even tax drugs quite a lot, and still keep the blackmarket small.
Taxation in California has proven to be a huge incentive to black market growers who can grow and sell tax free. The legal seller has the weight of taxation.
Your suggestions are basically a recipe for greater disaster.
What's different for those other drugs? Or should we (re-) criminalise alcohol and tobacco, too?
I agree that decriminalisation is a strange halfway measure. And I can also believe that not all policy in practice is great, even if the bears the label of 'legalisation' or 'decriminalisation'.
Japan was entirely controlled by the US after WW2 and had no control over its own affairs for several years. That's one big change. Plus culture changes a lot in a full century.
I know there are a lot of problems with meth, but how do they compare with other countries? (Per capita, say?)
Except for the justice system.
Yes, absolutely!
> to preempt or treat psychiatric symptoms.
Uh, no. They just medicate people to death or keep them off the streets if they can’t.
I suppose this may be better than the US, but that’s a pretty low standard.
Sounds good.
>I suppose this may be better than the US, but that’s a pretty low standard
What else they would do? Miraculously cure them?