Sure, but don't the laws of the country I am *in* govern? Not the country of my citizenship?

Yes - as many, many people have found to their surprise (remember the movie about the guy stuck in a Turkish prison for drugs) everyone, including US citizens, are subject to the the laws of the country they are in. The laws of the US are completely immaterial as long as you're in a foreign country.

And other countries have not only different laws - but completely different basic assumptions (like innocent until proven guilty, right to attorney/phone calls, bail and range of punishments).

Caveat: assuming you're not covered by diplomatic immunity.

As far as the original question goes, it is the smoking of the dope that is the problem, not the legality of it.

Yes, the laws of the country you are in apply to whether or not you can get arrested in that country. Dutch authorities aren't going to arrest you if you didn't break their law.

But you are subject to penalty/arrest when you return to the U.S. if you broke a U.S. law when you were in a foreign country.

>> The laws of the U.S. are completely immaterial as long as you're in a foreign country.
That's not true (for some laws) if you intend to return to the U.S. and are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident alien.

>>But you are subject to penalty/arrest when you return to the U.S. if you broke a U.S. law when you were in a foreign country.

That is if you broke a U.S. law that is written to apply to your activity in a foreign country. Smoking pot in Amsterdam might not be against U.S. law but smoking a Cubano cigar in Guatemala is.

<Smoking pot in Amsterdam might not be against U.S. law>

So why do you keep bringing it up? No one here is talking about Cuban cigars.

Interesting academic discussion. However, re the original question, as Austin stated, there is no way to prove your friend smoked in the Netherlands and not in the US as well. Accordingly, your friend should use the same discretion in the Netherlands as in the US. Get high, have a job; get high, have a job....Same equation regardless of the trip to Amsterdam. It would be foolish to think othewise.

It doesn't matter if it is or isn't legal for a US citizen to smoke pot in Amsterdam. The only thing that matters is whether or not the company has a stated policy prohibiting drug use.

Why would somebody risk their job for it? Make better choices.

But this post isn't about risking a current job, as it turns out. It's about going out on interviews for a new job, i.e.

"one never knows when the next big job offer could come along"

Right... there is nothing on the radar and he has never known his company to do drug tests on existing employees.
I suppose he would like to smoke it because it is legal... which is why he does not smoke it here.
He definitely was under the impression that you can LEGALLY purchase and smoke marijuana inside Amsterdam coffee shops. This is my understanding, as well.
Is this not the case?
Obviously he would not break the law, no matter how acceptable.

Well, where I work, drugs are not tolerated. I wouldn't care where it was done, if he failed a drug test, he failed a drug test. In the corporate worlds I've been in - "I did it in Amersterdam" wouldn't help. If he hasn't done drugs since the 70s, tell him not to start now..... and based on stories I've heard of drugs in Amsterdam - I certainly wouldn't pick there to do it....

Sounds like a mid-life crisis to me...
He/she might be opening a Pandora's box better left closed. Just MHO.

I totally don't see the point. Just because it is easy to come by in the Netherlands doesn't mean one has to try it when one goes there. When your friend sees the red light district, does that mean he has to also try that? The Netherlands has a lot of problems because of drugs and the nasty people they attract. Watch yourself.

I am not really sure why he would do it... he is responsible and doesn't do much of anything that would brand him a rebel.
Maybe the dude just liked pot back in the day?
The fact that he is asked the question does not concern me at all. I thought it was an interesting question... especially over lunch at the office.
I had another work 'friend' that was in Saudi Arabia for 2 years. He could not wait to have a beer when he came home. Certainly did not make him an alcholic... in fact, I never see him drink but he did make the comment that he specifically wanted a beer and pizza when he got back home.
Maybe it is the allure of the forbidden?
Besides, from what I recall, pot just makes you tired and hungry. I never understood why people liked it.

ROTFLOL!

"...pot just makes you tired and hungry"?

Oh, I think pot provided a little more fun than that to have it be so popular!!

Honestly, I'm with TxTravelPro on this one. I'd add, 'unable to keep a train of thought and paranoid' to 'tired and hungry.' Once I got over trying to be a cool teen-ager, I could never see the attraction. I hear it's a lot stronger these days. Is it more intense hunger, tiredness, being spaced out and paranoid or is there an added dimension that might explain its popularity? Inquiring minds want to know. If your friend decides to throw caution to the wind, please report back to us after his trip.

If he doesn't smoke at home on a regular basis, why in the world would he do it in Amsterdam? Stoned for the 1st time in 35 years, wandering around a city you don't know... this is fun... why???

Look, he can't be too intelligent in the first place. After all, he thinks some employer might ignore a failed drug test because he said he smoked pot in Amsterdam. Probably thinks it would be okay with his wife if he frequents the red light district because prostition is legal, as well.

Having been in law enforcement and worked labor issues after retirement. I can say that most employers don't say you can't smoke, eat, drink, or even shoot up.

What they get upset about is when the level in your blood or urine is detectable and you don't have a legal reason for it.

So could they fire me for smoking pot in Amsterdam, no! Could they fire me when I come to work with THC in my urine, you bet!

BTW: many employers are now using the hair sample test, which is less intrusive and can show THC up to 90 days from the last time you smoked.

Shave your head and avoid the hahir test. Worked for Britney.