[nemothekid]

>My suggestion was to have a low level summary offense which only punishes the person with education on rehab options.

What I'm saying is you have to consider who would be responsible for such a system? Decriminalization isn't about ignoring the issue, it's about getting these people out of the criminal justice system. What you are advocating for, to be implemented successfully, would require a reform of the entire police force to treat these people as patients instead of criminals. (I'm focusing on America here, in your country the police may be less hostile, especially to drug users.)

The eventual path that is being set, for which decriminalization would be a first step would then to have hospitals/health care provide save alternatives to buying hard drugs/needles on the street, which you can then check them into and begin the rehab process there. Essentially forcing people to rehab under threat of punishment isn't successful, and the American police force has spent the last 40 years treating drug users as criminals. Depending on the justice system isn't likely to work.

[giantg2]

Why would the police need to treat them as patients? When you get a ticket for a traffic violation, they typically (the good ones anyways) educate you on what you did that was unsafe. This is usually just a summary offense with a fine. I'm saying that drug users should get a similar treatment but even without the fine.