Lie about your marijuana use in Finland... ...or you may find yourself prosecuted, like this Member of Parliament did. The MP, who represents the Green Party, was put on trial for illegal drug use after telling a television interviewer that she had used marijuana. The court rejected the charges after only an hour when the defendent offered little testimony, and said she was ill while being interviewed.
The prosecutor apparently isn't satisfied:
District prosecutor Tove Myhrberg said that she would consider appealing the acquittal. She said, for instance, that the defence argument concerning Meriläinen's illness does not mean that she was not telling the truth in the interviews.
My book about the drug war contains a brief section devoted to the culture of dishonesty surrounding prohibition in the U.S., but I have to hand it to Finland for taking it to a new level.
UPDATE: An anonymous reader asks if it's illegal to ever have taken drugs in Finland. Apparently so, according to this rundown on international law by NORML (scroll down to see section on Finland):
Drug use, possession, acquisition, and trafficking are all criminal offenses in Finland. In application of penalties, no distinction is made between drugs; however, Finnish law contains the concept of "very dangerous drug" (meaning narcotics) which pose a serious health risk. Cases involving drug violations are generally examined based on the specific circumstances surrounding the offense. Often prosecutors will withdraw from proceedings or waive punishment when there is a small quantity involved and the offender voluntarily undergoes treatment. Trafficking in any drug results in anywhere from 2-10 years imprisonment.
Cannabis offenses in Finland are generally punishable by a fine or a maximum of 2 years imprisonment.
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