Dutch leader responsible for cannabis tolerance smokes 1st joint at 86

Former Prime Minister Dries van Agt smoked his very fist joint at the age of 86 on Wednesday. Despite introducing the cannabis tolerance policy as Minister of Justice in 1976, Van Agt never actually tried weed himself, the association of Dutch coffeeshops PCN said on its site.

Van Agt smoked his first joint on the day that he was awarded the Koos Zwart Award, an prize awarded by the PCN to people who made an extraordinary effort in legalizing and normalizing cannabis. 

The former Prime Minister also used the occasion to again call for legalizing cannabis. "Comrades, this is the year of victory!" he said. "Our salvation comes from California and Canada, the breakthrough is now really close." Canada and California both recently legalized the sale of marijuana. 

The new Dutch government included an experiment on regulated cannabis cultivation in the government agreement. Municipalities are lining up to take part, with Rotterdam pushing to be the first. 

Former Dutch prime minister Dries van Agt (86) smokes cannabis for the first time in his life, 42 years after he introduced the famous Dutch tolerance policy for cannabis. He was awarded the Koos Zwart Award by @InfoPCN today.

Photo: @DarpanvanKuik pic.twitter.com/JUA7QHXyQl

— VOC Nederland (@vocnederland) January 17, 2018