Amsterdam Coffeeshop Directory Forums

I read in the english Sun newspaper that authorities are cracking down on coffee shops in Amsterdam and there is to be a rule where only residents of the city/Netherlands will be able to visit these premises.

There is to be a ban on tourists visiting the shops.

The report was in the paper last week and I am wondering if there was any truth in it and when the ban will be enforced.

I think you're refering to this mate

https://www.coffeeshopdirect.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=475

Not good at all!

Wow, cheers mate. Obviously didn't realise so much had been said about it already.

I've read all the messages and I don't really know what to make of it. Think the politicians might win in the end especially as ordinary tobacco smoking is going to be banned.

Best I can make of it is that any ban won't happen overnight and the arguments against a ban are strong ones.

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction

cdm20375 wrote: Wow, cheers mate. Obviously didn't realise so much had been said about it already.

I've read all the messages and I don't really know what to make of it. Think the politicians might win in the end especially as ordinary tobacco smoking is going to be banned.

Best I can make of it is that any ban won't happen overnight and the arguments against a ban are strong ones.

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction

The tobacco ban is a EU directive and no-one not even the Dutch can really argue against it, but to say non-dutch residents wont be able to buy/smoke marijuana goes against Human rights/equality, I thnk its all BS tbh and in the name of research I'll ask as many coffeeshop employers/employers what their take on the subject is when I'm there for christmas

Boner wrote:The tobacco ban is a EU directive and no-one not even the Dutch can really argue against it.

If this is true, then that isn't a good thing. What's to stop the EU from passing another directive dictating that Marijuana, it's possession, sale, and use are illegal and punishable by mandatory sentences (ala the US... grumble)? If this happens, I hope the Nederlands withdraws from the Union. To sell your rights for some small benefits is daft. Especially considering how much money they make in tourism from this industry. The Nederlands would do just fine without the Union, afterall they have done so for how many centuries already?

stygian--

you got me. But the Dutch--and the French--REJECTED the EU Constitution. EU law does not exist in this context because there is no approved constitution. Marijuana use cannot be outlawed in such a document because UN Drugs Convention Laws clearly state that "the use of drugs is not an offence". (It's the same in Dutch law)

Plus, it would be exceptional to single out marijuana in an EU context; most politicians in the EP would refer those questions to UN treaties, not to EU-specific laws. And anyway, EU has since 1992 emphasized what's called "harm reduction," which basically means lighter penalties and lighter enforcement. There is a sizable minority of MEPs who signed a draft calling for withdrawal from UN anti-drug treaties.

the "tourist ban" clause has to be ratified by the Dutch Parliament, not the European Parliament. They haven't gotten that far yet, they're still arguing about which countries can come in to the EU, and is the EU good for member states. I'd say placing marijuana on the law books for EU is still at least five, maybe even ten years away. The Sun article makes it sound like foreigners are going to be arrested in Holland from Jan 1; no way, not at all true. But the British tabloid press has always sensationalized this kind of stuff. And there's no guarantee that a "pilot program" will even be successful; picture a program in Maastricht where Belgian, French, and German tourists turn to street dealers (the possession law hasn't been amended), creating a crazy street scene with big-time mafias, hard drug peddling, and violence. I'm not saying make it happen, but that's what probably will be the result. "Pilot programs" are meant to show how new approaches to the law can deter crime, just like Lambeth's "pilot project" in the UK to loosen pot penalizations. The important thing is making sure the facts are all on the table, not just the doctored ones that Donner and Co. often present.

I'm not sure I'm going to miss Maastricht; I've never been there. But I'd be really pissed off, disillusioned, if Amsterdam went this route.

Well, let me pilot into outerspace for awhile.

Qahouaji

I can understand the "oh shit more bloody tourists" mentality of the people who are obviously pushing for a ban to come through. Let's face it, not many people go to Amsterdam without sampling the local delicacies and this is the main purpose of a visit for many people

Coffeeshops have become tourist traps as a result.

Most people go to Ibiza, Mallorca, Benidorm etc to get off their face on drink and/or hard drugs and there are plenty of outlets for this and far worse consequences result from it.

Do the Spanish authorities seek to close the clubs, bars and discos despite the same old same old year after year? No senor. No tourists. No money.

Surely the renowned Dutch policy of tolerance should be allowed to continue for the same reason.

I wonder about the timing of these stories.

Seems like every year around this time there is a story about how cannabis tourism is about to come to an end.

With the Dutch keen understanding of business, I'm starting to wonder if this is a form of promotion to increase cannabis tourism during Amsterdam's off season. Last chance! Buy Now!

Stygian23 wrote:

Boner wrote:The tobacco ban is a EU directive and no-one not even the Dutch can really argue against it.

If this is true, then that isn't a good thing. What's to stop the EU from passing another directive dictating that Marijuana, it's possession, sale, and use are illegal and punishable by mandatory sentences (ala the US... grumble)? If this happens, I hope the Nederlands withdraws from the Union. To sell your rights for some small benefits is daft. Especially considering how much money they make in tourism from this industry. The Nederlands would do just fine without the Union, afterall they have done so for how many centuries already?

Theres been a few rumours going around all is not well between The Netherlands and the EU, they want the Guilder back and they want their rights back I hope its true because if 1 country said bollox to the EU then other countrys would follow!

I have seen / heard these rumors here and elsewhere on the internet and all along I just couldn't believe that a country that has been as forward thinking as the Netherlands would allow itself to be persuaded to change it's progressive policies. The U.S. method of dealing with marijuana and those who choose to use it is so flawed that the Dutch wouldn't want to be troubled with the conditions that would arise from such a change. Rumor or not I hope they continue to resist any pressure whether its from their neighbors or the US.