The introduction of a 'weed pass', which will only be available to Dutch residents, will lead to a significant reduction in incidents, claims a report drawn up by a number of towns in the south of the Netherlands.
Coffeeshops and the law
There is a popular misconception that soft drugs are legal in the Netherlands. Or that they are somehow sold legally in coffeeshops. In reality, the Netherlands is a signatory to a number of international treaties on a range of substances classed as illegal drugs. The country’s own national drug legislation, the 'Opium Act', has not been repealed and cannabis is still completely illegal.
On the other hand, possession of small amounts of cannabis for personal consumption is officially ‘tolerated’. In other words, the law is not enforced. This also applies to the sale of small amounts of cannabis in coffeeshops. However, the amount a coffeeshop can stockpile is strictly limited and, confusingly, the police still arrest growers and suppliers of cannabis to coffeeshops.
For more information see our Soft drugs FAQ
The Dutch daily NRC Handelsblad reports that barring foreign drug users from coffeeshops, where people can buy small amounts of marijuana and hashish, has not led them to go elsewhere, at least not in the large numbers predicted by critics.
Conservative mayor
“Most foreigners who now come here to buy drugs, will no longer be allowed to do so in the near future. They will have to buy them in their own countries,” Maastricht Mayor Onno Hoes says.
The conservative VVD mayor is a staunch proponent of the weed pass: “Seventy percent of the two million people who visit coffeeshops in Maatricht come from abroad. The weed pass will stop them from coming—which means a lot less trouble.”
A majority in the council fears foreigners will continue to come to Maastricht - to buy drugs on the street. But Mayor Hoes says strict police enforcement will prevent an underground drug trade from emerging in suburban areas.
Inquiries
With the council split on the matter, the municipality ordered two studies earlier this year. One looked into all drug-related incidents that occurred near the town’s 14 coffeeshops. A second study focused on the consequences that barring foreigners could have on neighbouring municipalities.
The final results are due at the end of this month. The initial findings will be presented to the council on Wednesday.
Dutch Security and Justice Minister Ivo Opstelten recently announced the nationwide introduction of the weed pass. Under the government plan, coffeeshops will be allowed to issue a maxiumum of 1,000 to 1,500 weed passes, and only to Dutch nationals.
(cl/imm)
© Radio Netherlands Worldwide
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Well i just signed up for a weedpass on wietpas eu so iam waiting in full hope for my email
That's perfectly fine with me, usually I prefer to get legal bud high, but I am sure there are plenty who will suffer because of this decision. I wouldn't be so sure about the underground marijuana traffic, I have a feeling the dealers will find a way to elude the police enforcements and sell the drug eventually.
The key is to make weed legal everywhere. That strips it of its mystique, and has been proven to reduce its popularity (see recent trends in Portugal). No more high usage zones, binge holidaying, reduced usage by teens, and easier access for those who use it for help with medical conditions.
So, a Dutch national with a weed pass buys cart loads of weed with his pass and then sells the weed on the street! Long live the spirit of free enterprise!
change the word trouble to business in the title :)
One year later and this government doesn't really seems to have a clue where to go. Cuts on welfare and repression, nice old fashion combination... especially now that the world is moving toward a more relax legislation on drugs. Clearly the survey will prove that pass system works. Surveys commissioned by politicians always prove what politician want to be proven. The question is: are politician allowed to destroy a 40 years old experiment just to support a political career? Cannabis is a culture here and will survive Wilders or Rutte. By the way: I read "to Dutch nationals only". I'm not dutch, I live in The Netherlands, have my company set here, pay my tax here: under which principle I cannot access a coffeeshop? This is clearly discrimination and it will cause a lot of troubles to the government.
I am a Dutch National, but right now do not live in The Netherlands. When I come for a visit may I, if I wish, go to a coffee shop and purchase pot?
The claim by the council that strict police enforcement will prevent an underground drug trade from emerging is a simpleton's myth. There is not a single country in the world where police enforcement has worked. In fact, it has been disastrous in a number of countries, costing billions with jail populations ever growing. At the same time, preventing workable solutions. This is an underhanded scheme to register all Dutch marijuana users, foreigners are only the tip of the wedge. Register beer drinkers if you want to pretend to stop crime and give people a false sense of security.
"The introduction of the weed pass, which foreign drug users cannot obtain, results in a significant reduction in incidents, claims a report drawn up by a number of towns."....Are you saying "weed" is the cause of the incidents? You don't say what type of offenses were committed which were drug related. I bet if the council took a closer look at the offenses, they might find that those who committed crimes were intoxicated with alcohol and "weed". Both are dangerous to one's health but alcohol has a tendency to cause people to act out violently. You picked the wrong one to ban. I wonder why the council didn't ban alcohol?
If The European Union of which the Netherlands is a member nation, then to restrict the sell of "weed" to Dutch citizens is a violation of one's civil liberties within the Union. What if a Dutch citizen went to France and tried to buy a bottle of Cognac and was refused because he was a Dutch citizen? You wouldn't like it one bit. You the Dutch are the problem in the first place. You are the cause and effect of the drug problem. You help people get addicted, yes addicted, to the "weed" and now you only want your dope heads to get the wacky tobacco. Don't violate the rights of E.U. citizens to travel and shop freely. Either make it illegal for all or sell freely to all.
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