Foreign visitors are to be kept out of Dutch coffee shops - where soft drugs are sold legally – by introducing a membership card system for purchasing cannabis. Minister of Security and Justice Ivo Opstelten’s plan has already been approved by the Lower House. But not everybody thinks it should get the go-ahead.
Minister Opstelten wants to introduce the membership card system for purchasing cannabis in order to combat organised crime around coffee shops and prevent foreign visitors from disrupting public order.
Discrimination
Professor of General Law Studies at the University of Groningen, Jan Brouwer, has done extensive research into the Dutch drug tolerance policy. He believes that excluding foreign tourists from coffee shops goes against Article 1 of the Dutch constitution, prohibiting discrimination:
”And we say, it is at odds with Article 1. It isn’t that you are never allowed to infringe on it, but you do need to have objective and just grounds to do so. Well, do we have them? According to the minister, there are: foreigners cause trouble here. To which we answer: Yes, and don’t Dutch people cause trouble?”
Illegal drugs trade
Especially coffee shops in the big cities and towns on the German and Belgian borders attract many cannabis users. The majority of local authorities here are against the membership card system, as they fear it will encourage the illegal drugs trade. If the membership card system is introduced, tourists will bypass it by buying drugs in the streets, Professor Brouwer thinks. The illegal trade will flourish.
Soft drugs are crowd-puller
The mayor of Amsterdam, Eberhard van der Laan, says that if the illegal drugs trade does increase because of the membership system, he doesn’t have the means to adequatly combat it. According to him, 4.5 million tourists from abroad visit Amsterdam every year. Over a million of them also go to the coffee shops. They would then mainly depend on the illegal trade for their weed.
As the plans stand now, coffee shops will become private clubs, each with 1000 to 1500 exclusively Dutch members who all have a membership card. Local authorities are allowed to cut, but not raise the number of members. If it’s up to Minister Opstelten, the membership card system will be introduced in the south of the Netherlands, along the Belgian border, this coming autumn. The other provinces are to follow later.
Draconic
Chairman of the Netherlands Platform of Cannabis Enterprises, Willem Panders, thinks the measures are “draconic and absurd”. Because introducing the system not only affects tourists from abroad, but also somebody from Groningen who is visiting Maastricht and wants to buy weed, but isn’t a member of a coffee shop in Maastricht. Would a coffee shop be lenient towards this person from Groningen or a foreigner? Mr Panders doesn’t think so:
"That would be the same as saying today, well, that guy looks mature. We know he's not eighteen yet, but anyway, let's sell hime some stuff. You're putting your business at risk if you do things like that. I don't think coffeeshops would want to take that risk."
Foreign tourists, as well as Groningers in Maastricht, or Maastricht residents in Groningen, have one last hope. The cabinet decision to introduce the membership system is not final. It is pending while the Council of State, the country's highest judicial body, is mulling over a conflict between the city of Maastricht and a coffee shop owner who continues to welcome foreigners. The verdict is expected in early July, and it could lead to a revision of the new laws.
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Its not who you know its what you know.
Who is going togo over there just to watch a windmill? Ah, ah, no one believes this crap. Pray you dutch for the "coffee" not to be legalized all over!!!
I have been to amsterdam many times and loved it. If this ban goes through i will have no reason to travel there again.
They will be taking away something that made in particular the city very special. I can spend my money elsewhere from now on.
I have been to amsterdam many times and loved it. If this ban goes through i will have no reason to travel there again.
They will be taking away something that made in particular the city very special. I can spend my money elsewhere from now on.
I got back a few weeks ago and I felt welcomed everywhere I went. This was trip number 17 for Me and I can prove that I have spent over 30,000 Euro throughout My trips as a cannabis tourist. These trips were not limited to Amsterdam, in fact I daresay I've seen more of holland than the major mouthing off stating tourists do not come back - would he like to see my paperwork? surely I'm not alone.
I also have My father and grandmothers birth certificate in My posession and I am considering applying for a passport to prove My dual nationality in order to try my luck for a wietpas, rather silly for Me to have to spend all that money for the lottery chance of obtaining 1 of 1600 passes in a coffeeshop or do I just up and move there now, question is can I afford to pay the taxes a year in when the impact of this nonsence kicks in?
Foreigners not welcome... you could have fooled me... I was greeted with a friendly smile, good conversation, much hospitality. So it's not the coffee shops with the problem. Ban it at your peril Amsterdam because its the only reason we came here.. we dropped several thousand dollars into your city.. it would have not happened with out the coffee shops.
The US's experience should be a warning to the Netherlands. We have more people in prison here than any other industrialized country. (and, by the way, Prisons are major profiteering businesses in the US). We have horrid gang wars and trafficing of soft drugs...all because we are too focused upon controlling people. Many of our prisons are full of non-violent drug offenders. Why? I believe it is a combination of the overwhelming need that fundamentalist Christians have to control pleasure in the world with the added help of the Pharmaceutical firms (who don't make money off of Marijuana). Interestingly enough, we sell more prescription drugs per capita here than anywhere else, it is more abused and yet the law turns a blind eye to most of these offenses.
It is a shame that the Netherlands is taking a hard right stand on this. It will only lead to many more social complications.
Hi everyone!
Some friends are traveling to Koln in August, we wanted to spend 2 nights in Maastricht, could somebody tell me if we will be allowed to buy weed in the coffeeshops?
Thanks in advance
The Cannabis War is a scam.. It has no merit. They don't have 1 argument on the other side. It is all lies... But if people get arrested and don't fight back, then those in the human race deserve to be slaves....
Get ready for drug gangs and more guns and violence if you give total control of cannabis to thugs and criminals. Keep the sale of cannabis safe, legal and out in the open.
I used to think the Netherlands was a beacon of freedom , but they have No freedom of speech or freedom of the press. Now they want to keep the weed for only the Dutch? That does not sound fair. They used to have "whites only" areas in the United States how is this any different.It is selfish of the Dutch to try keep non-Dutch out of the coffee shops. I used to love to visit Holland well maybe I will keep my money out of Dutch hands.
In the Netherlands cannabis is still illegal and growers get busted all the time. Freedom? On a side note, I read your comment about "whites only areas in the US". Look up "zwarte school" and "witte vlucht" if you get a chance, its sad really. This is all happening as we speak.... not the 1950's
If this system comes into place, the Netherlands will never be the same again..!
Black market trade will be rive..People will die over this.Gangs will move in no matter what..!This is a crazy idea.
If you want to ban something. Ban drink.
Now,that's the real gateway to hard drugs !
Don't do it ...Why ban something that only makes people happy and creative..?
Have you ever seen somebody smoking 8 joints and then going outside for a fight ..?
Not one recorded case of cannabis related death ever and it's still illegal..?
Get real and don't think of embarking on this maddness.It will be the biggest mistake this country has ever made.
I'd love to know who taking all the bribes from the drinks industries...?
Somebodies pockets are being lined with money for something like this to go ahead..!
Lock up the boarders and stop any outside influence or pressure to change...Live free,stay free........!
Liquor is also addictive, tobacco is addictive, etc.etc. Let is all be legal and free to use and legalize at least the soft drugs.We don't want drug wars!
Liquor is addictive and poison, tobacco is addictive, coffee is addictive, tea is addictive, gambling is addictive; let it all be free to use and consume, and legalize at least the soft drugs. We don't want drug wars.
"What happened to standing up for your priciples?"...What principles?
The dutch have principles. Their way works. Their liberal policy on marijuana has worked out well for them over the years. You are clearly completely ignorant on the subject of marijuana and the science and affects of it. If there is one thing i have learned over the years its that you cannot argue with stupidity. Before you form such a harsh opinion on the subject maybe you should go do a little independant research on your own and stop taking bias opinions off of corrupt news channels and politician.
"The dutch have principles. Their way works. Their liberal policy on marijuana has worked out well for them over the years"....Has it worked? Why are they trying to change from their liberal policies? I have done my research. Kaz, it is not good for you. Again, what principles?
The dutch have principles. Their way works. Their liberal policy on marijuana has worked out well for them over the years. You are clearly completely ignorant on the subject of marijuana and the science and affects of it. If there is one thing i have learned over the years its that you cannot argue with stupidity. Before you form such a harsh opinion on the subject maybe you should go do a little independant research on your own and stop taking bias opinions off of corrupt news channels and politician.
The Dutch have sold out to the French and Germans! Gee, why even have borders, just let the Rotmuffs take over again. Why not hand over your Jews, homos and bikes again too. Wow, this totally contradicts the reason why soft drugs were tolerated in the first place. It just means that foreignors can now buy coke and ecstacy with their cannabis in the back alleys, wonderful! Every Dutchman should be ashamed of this. What happened to standing up for your priciples? Oh yeah, by the way Hiram1, wacky tobacco is much safer and less addicting than regular tobacco and even alcohol, so educate yourself and keep an open mind, like the Dutch used to have.
I am Dutch myself and am also shocked about this law. It is not that we care about drug tourism or WANT to discriminate foreigners, it is the EU putting boundaries on our selling and trafficking. We can't legally produce it and we are already not allowed to have the large amounts of weed that coffeeshops need to serve their customers. What WOULD work, is to fully legalize it and just sell it as you were selling alcohol and tobacco. However, it is the overprotectiveness of the Dutch government and the first recommendation that didn't go through, which was to liberalize the policy with neighbouring countries. I can imagine this system would take down the whole purpose of the Cannabis Cup. Maybe all countries should alter their drug policy and stop fighting the fact that billions of people on this earth want to smoke weed and buy coke and ecstacy and shrooms and just legalize it and regulate the backdoor problem of production too so they DONT have to buy it from backalleys. California seems to have a better mindset at this time, even though the American FBI is completely nuts trying to attack citizens for it. Remember, were only part of a huge entity called the European Union that restricts us from being as open minded as we used to be and deal with treaties of the USA. Also otherwise, if we weren't part of it like Switzerland, we would create a worse situation for us and none of the EU countries would tolerate us for our liberal policies. I think a huge part that has to do with it is America not legalizing it on a federal level. So I hope you get my dilemma. There wouldn't be "organized crime" around coffeeshops if what they were offering wasn't illegal to bulk and transport it in the first place and if so many other countries wouldn't frown upon it so much.
Jack N, marijuana is addicting and it does affect the user in both the short-term and long term. It is a psyco-ative drug. The facts are out there to prove my claim of it's affects; but, people who are addicted don't want to hear the facts. Why? Because their addictive personality justifies the use of the drug. No, proof in this world will stop the inner voice of addiction. When a addictive personality is subject to the craving, i.e., alcohol tobacco, heroin, etc., he/she will do what ever it takes to stop the craving. Yes, Jack N, marijuana is addictive and the facts are out there to prove it.
Most medications for blood pressure are "psycho-active" too, just because a drug is psycho-active does not mean that it is harmful. I think the real problem is that people are unable to wrap their minds around the fact that a substance can intoxicate without having any deliterious effects. The biggest claim by the conservative movement is that is causes psychosis, that is true but you have to be aware that according to DSM-IV criteria paranoia is classified as a psychosis and everyone has always known (and accepted) that cannabis makes you paranoid but it is temporary. THis is a direct result of the adrenergic activity that it mimics. The facts are that has been used by cultures for thousands of years with a safety record that any drug company would love to market a new product with.
Sorry Haram...."the facts are out there to prove its addictive"....Your wrong again, I suggest you do some REAL research...your wrong again, as commenters on this site have known for a long time. Just because you and your ilk keep saying it, does not make it so....
Oleoposting, it is addictive and you know it. May I ask who you and your ilk are? Is your ilk the one's who thrive off the misery of other humans who are addicted. Just you and your ilk claims it is not addictive, doesn't make it so. Oleo, you care nothing about those who are addicted to mind-altering drugs. It is always about your rights. You lack the empathy for the pain and suffering of those addicted. Leave the whacky tobacco alone. It has impaired your ability to feel compassion for anyone but yourself. You are a selfish person.
Just because you and your ilk keep saying it, does not make it so....Still apples Hiram. Your full of words and blather but NEVER the facts....NOW its the "compassion" you feel for others, I love that one...Hiram, it just ain't going to work. BTW we are talking about pot, not "mind-altering drugs" with an S.
Alan, marijauana is a mind-altering substance. You know the facts. You just can't admit it because you too are justifing the substance for your "your" gratification.
"my gratification"....I love that one too. Poor, poor Hiram...so sad and pathetic.
"...so sad and pathetic"....It is sad and pathic to observe humans justify lifestyles in order to obtain self-serving gratifications. I know you were referring to yourself. I bet every time you look at yourself in a mirror or see your reflection in the water, you gaze at yourself all day. Am I not right my friend? Leave the wacky tobacco alone. It will distract you from seeing your reflection. What is more important, the weed or your reflection. I am probably wrong about you being narcistic. The mind-altering effects from the marijuana, probably helps you forget what you see. Did you know that a large percentage of people who use mind-altering drugs like marijuana use the drugs in order to escape reality? Otherwise, why would they distort reality with the weed? Be nice, Alan. No one is telling you not to use it. You have a right to believe as you choose and do as you choose; but, that still does not mean marijuana is good for you.
Ultra conservative much? Which one was it CDA, CU or did you feel naughty and go PVV?
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