The Dutch Gov't Bans Foreigners From Coffee Shops

Stoner Smurf

Stoner Smurf

Active Member
Well this is sad. Someone posted this on another forum I'm on.
reuters.com said:
The Dutch government on Friday said it would start banning tourists from buying cannabis from "coffee shops" and impose restrictions on Dutch customers by the end of the year.

The Netherlands is well known for having one of Europe's most liberal soft drug policies that has made its cannabis shops a popular tourist attraction, particularly in Amsterdam. [ID:nLDE6AG22N]

Backed by the far-right party of anti-immigrant politician Geert Wilders, the coalition government that came into power last year announced plans to curb drug tourism as mart of a nationwide programme to promote health and fight crime.

"In order to tackle the nuisance and criminality associated with coffee shops and drug trafficking, the open-door policy of coffee shops will end," the Dutch health and justice ministers wrote in a letter to the country's parliament on Friday.

Under the new rules, only Dutch residents will be able to sign up as members of cannabis shops.

Dutch customers will have to sign up for at least a year's membership and each shop would be expected to have only up to 1,500 members, a justice ministry spokesman said.

The policy will roll out in the southern provinces of Limburg, Noord Brabant and Zeeland by the end of the year and the rest of the country next year, the spokesman said.

Amsterdam, home to about 220 coffee shops, is already in the process of closing some in its red light district. Some officials have resisted the measures, saying they will push the soft drug trade underground.

Some Dutch border towns including Maastricht and Terneuzen have already restricted the sale of marijuana to foreigners
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Here's the article. How sad, the place with the most sane drug laws are taking 10 steps back.

Edit: I struggle to believe this is happening. It is so illogical for the Dutch people. It would cripple their tourism economy. No one gives a shit about wood shoes and tulips.
 
PussymOneyWeed

PussymOneyWeed

Well-Known Member
This has been in the news for along time, just sayin. Somebody got into a pissing match with me like 8 months ago in some thread when i brought news this up.
 
Luger187

Luger187

Well-Known Member
In order to tackle the nuisance and criminality associated with coffee shops and drug trafficking, the open-door policy of coffee shops will end
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what a bunch of bullshit. since when have the coffee shops been a problem?
 
tip top toker

tip top toker

Well-Known Member
It has been a posibility for along time, it appears though that the official stance was within the past couple of days, google's swamped with stories about it from within the past 24 hours.

I think it wil be the case that the three cities or towns mentioned will act as pilot studies to moniter over the next 6 months or whatnot just how it does effect the income as a result of lost tourism. A lot of people go their simply for a holiday, but a lot of people go there for the idea that there is weed as well as a holiday, and a lot of people go there to get high. While they will retain good tourism numbers, they really are shooting themselves in the foot a bit.

I wonder what DST's take is on all of this madness.
 
yamban

yamban

Well-Known Member
Noo I wanted to go there one day for a vacation! I'll still go but it would be a nicer overall experience if I had some coffee shops to shop off at.
 
dam612

dam612

Well-Known Member
i bet the crime rate increase as the streets will be flooded w shady non regulated dealers
 
Stoner Smurf

Stoner Smurf

Active Member
tip top toker said:
It has been a posibility for along time, it appears though that the official stance was within the past couple of days, google's swamped with stories about it from within the past 24 hours.

I think it wil be the case that the three cities or towns mentioned will act as pilot studies to moniter over the next 6 months or whatnot just how it does effect the income as a result of lost tourism. A lot of people go their simply for a holiday, but a lot of people go there for the idea that there is weed as well as a holiday, and a lot of people go there to get high. While they will retain good tourism numbers, they really are shooting themselves in the foot a bit.

I wonder what DST's take is on all of this madness.
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We should go to these 'pilot' cities, and commit all sorts of crimes. Who's in?
 
high|hgih

high|hgih

Well-Known Member
Now portugal's getting the huge tourist economy :D its no big deal guys when is the next time you were going to the netherlands anyways? It was probably some stupid shit with the US goverment bitching about their people getting high and liking other countries better or something..
 
Herpinderp

Herpinderp

Member
Dang, I was so motivated to go to Amsterdam, but if this is true, I'm not even going to bother. To be honest, I think it is going to completely decimate their tourism economy.
 
B

bigmindhack

Member
Very smart, Dutch government. They don't need to worry about their entire tourism economy, they can raise taxes for their residents instead!
 
newworldicon

newworldicon

Well-Known Member
tip top toker said:
It has been a posibility for along time, it appears though that the official stance was within the past couple of days, google's swamped with stories about it from within the past 24 hours.

I think it wil be the case that the three cities or towns mentioned will act as pilot studies to moniter over the next 6 months or whatnot just how it does effect the income as a result of lost tourism. A lot of people go their simply for a holiday, but a lot of people go there for the idea that there is weed as well as a holiday, and a lot of people go there to get high. While they will retain good tourism numbers, they really are shooting themselves in the foot a bit.

I wonder what DST's take is on all of this madness.
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The problem with watching what happens in 6 months is that it is probably not enough time to see what the real resultant of this measure is, I bet in 5 years they will have a bigger black market problem.
 
racerboy71

racerboy71

bud bootlegger
i was in germany, and the first place i ever got weed from in the netherlands is one of the cities being tested wtih the ban, mastricht.. very cool lil city, and i've even been there before i went to the dam... mastricht doesn't have any where near the amount of coffee shops as some of the bigger cities like amsterdam, therefore the result in lost revenue's won't be nearly as much as it will be when they decide to ban it in the entire country..
it really is a sin that the dutch who have been known to be one of the most open minded peoples in the world are now in the control of the right wing religious party who have been making these terrible decisions.. i even heard that they want to get rid of much of the redlight district and turn them into avant garde fashion stores that nobody will shop at... such a pity really as amsterdam is an amazing city with amazing peoples, but this is going to kill them financially..
 
tip top toker

tip top toker

Well-Known Member
newworldicon said:
The problem with watching what happens in 6 months is that it is probably not enough time to see what the real resultant of this measure is, I bet in 5 years they will have a bigger black market problem.
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]

These are poloticians we're talking about :D They seems to deem 14 days an ample discussion period before attempting to destroy the NHS etc :lol: I don't figure they're much different over there :p
 
newworldicon

newworldicon

Well-Known Member
tip top toker said:
]

These are poloticians we're talking about :D They seems to deem 14 days an ample discussion period before attempting to destroy the NHS etc :lol: I don't figure they're much different over there :p
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I think they are well aware mate, this is how people push their own agenda, life is full of these lessons. A politician gets into politics for his own career first then the people second, providing they agree with him. No guessing where that leaves everyone else.
 
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