I think it very much depends on the country. Some countries are more strict than others. The police in some countries can have very different attitudes, such as:
- very strict, 100% by the book (Germany, Holland,...)
- hungry for bribes (some Eastern Europe countries, Mexico,...)
- very confused when dealing with foreigners, likely to let you off with a warning rather than bother with a situation that is over their heads
- also confused when dealing with foreigners, but likely to result in a negative attitude (the US)
- etc.
Beware of countries where people are encouraged to report any and all crimes; in some places it's a civic duty. Switzerland is notorious for that. I have a friend who got in trouble because someone saw him run a red light and called the cops.
797-3: I think that in most countries drug offenses are a serious crime and by no means "small".