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Dutch drug policy to favour locals: insiders
Posted: 2009-09-09, 7:54 am

Puffin13Supporting Member
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Dutch drug policy to favour locals: insiders
09/09/2009

The government's new stance towards soft drugs remains tolerant towards local users, but coffee shops would no longer be tourist attractions.

The Hague -- Coffee shops may soon be off limits to tourists, reports the ANP news agency Tuesday.

In the government's revised drug policy, tolerance for soft-drug use would continue to apply to coffee shops serving a limited local market, but the rules will change for foreigners, inside sources told the ANP.

Ministers will officially discuss changes to the drug policy Friday.

Since 1976, the purchase of small amounts of cannabis through coffee shops has been permitted in the Netherlands, while cultivation and mass retail remained forbidden.

The nearly 700 coffee shops country-wide are allowed to keep no more than 500 grammes (about 17 ounces) on site, according to the French news agency AFP.

A commission was formed in early 2009 to examine the current policy and develop recommendations that will form the basis of Friday's discussion.

Soft-drug use in the Netherlands has been hotly debated since the government decided to re-evaluate its policies.

On one hand, some government officials believe the current lax policy has let the crime situation in the Netherlands “get out of hand” over the past 15 years, according to a report on nu.nl.

Several border cities, including Roosendaal and Bergen-op-Zoom, announced in March the closure from September of all eight of their coffee shops in a bid to curb the "nuisance" of 25,000 drug tourists per week, the AFP reported in July.

However, there is much disagreement on the subject.

"Prohibiting cannabis has undesirable effects: it promotes trafficking, criminality, a black market economy and a poor quality product," Jacqueline Woerlee, a spokeswoman for the Association for the Abolition of Cannabis Prohibition, told AFP during the 10th annual Global Marijuana March in May 2009.

The commission has said it supported neither the banning nor the full legalisation of cannabis.

An official government policy paper is expected autumn 2009.

Source

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Re: Dutch drug policy to favour locals: insiders
Posted: 2009-09-09, 1:07 pm

MikeFromTxSupporting Member
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That sucks. Hope I dont have to cancel my trip in nov.

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Re: Dutch drug policy to favour locals: insiders
Posted: 2009-09-09, 2:38 pm

cocksure Power Kat
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Always something new every year on reducing coffeeshops. They can only do it slowly. There'll be smokes for tourists for years to come.

Maybe less coffeeshops but they'll never wipe em out or it'll just hit the streets.
Re: Dutch drug policy to favour locals: insiders
Posted: 2009-09-09, 3:42 pm

DogsAfirePower Kat XXX
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Can they not see what will happen?

Locals will buy and start selling on the streets. Criminals will get involved. Turf wars will arise. People will die.

Are they fucking blind?

the dogs
Re: Dutch drug policy to favour locals: insiders
Posted: 2009-09-09, 3:47 pm

block
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Supply and demand.....

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Re: Dutch drug policy to favour locals: insiders
Posted: 2009-09-09, 7:22 pm

overworked
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In addition to closing the coffee shops, they would have create new laws for the posession of marijuana by tourists.
The laws would have to include mandatory jail time a simple ticket or fine would not work.

If they did stick to thier guns and tried to do this county wide by the time they got it all passed and legal, California or Oregon will have coffee shops for everyone.

This is aimed at German teenagers, it will never happen in Amsterdam.
Re: Dutch drug policy to favour locals: insiders
Posted: 2009-09-09, 11:41 pm

Degenerate76
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It's worth noting that they can't legally discriminate between locals and other EU citizens.
Re: Dutch drug policy to favour locals: insiders
Posted: 2009-09-10, 11:23 am

ceramiche
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Location: Ireland
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I can't see how this will work.

Looking at this from a financial point of view just what percentage of locals actually go to coffee shops? I would have thought that it is us tourists that are keeping them open. Legal weed where else in the world eh?

Why don't the coffee shop owners band together to stop this or is that just a simplistic idea?
Re: Dutch drug policy to favour locals: insiders
Posted: 2009-09-10, 11:40 pm

jgramos Moderator
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"just what percentage of locals actually go to coffee shops?"

I'm not sure about in Amsterdam itself, but I'd presume a large percentage of the customers in Amsterdam are just tourists. However, I've been in many coffeeshops around Holland, and it is quite suprising how many Dutch smoke weed.....most seem to just drop in and pick a night or two's weed up at a time, but trade seems very constant....all day long, plus, after 5.30ish, the coffeeshops general are full through til 10pm....and it's usually locals.

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Re: Dutch drug policy to favour locals: insiders
Posted: 2009-09-11, 10:30 pm

JohnMoore
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Just read an article about this today in a swedish newspaper. Is it just me or is anyone else getting the feeling that this is a step backwards? Strange things are happening...

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Re: Dutch drug policy to favour locals: insiders
Posted: 2009-09-12, 6:14 am

neurosynthPower Kat XXX
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Just based on the number of retailers I'd guess far fewer Dutch people smoke weed than cigarettes or drink alcohol.

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Re: Dutch drug policy to favour locals: insiders
Posted: 2009-09-21, 10:42 pm

mimikko
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Puffin, thanks a lot for the info, this is crucial, I am sure I am not the only one who loves A'dam not only for illicit love, but for its combination with hashish etc!

Anyway, if the shit hits the fan, I guess I will have to buy an apartment!


A lion's share of life is enough.
Re: Dutch drug policy to favour locals: insiders
Posted: 2009-09-24, 3:18 am

UltimateAmsterdam
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I wonder if the dictators known as the European Union have any influence on the way things are run in Holland there getting there greedy hands into everything if they get there hands into Holland they could fuck everything up.
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