Up to six million euros will be made available over the next two years to fund experiments on ways to combat nuisance caused by cannabis 'coffee shops'. The cash is aimed at cutting crime related to the sale of cannabis and keeping the coffee shops on a small scale.
In the Netherlands, cannabis is not legal, but retail sale to customers aged over 18 is allowed in licensed café’s known as coffee shops. Paradoxically, the wholesale trade in cannabis remains strictly illegal, so while such cafés are allowed to sell cannabis at the ‘front door’, they are obliged to buy in supplies at the ‘back door’ from the criminal underworld.
In some areas the presence of coffee shops results in nuisance for local residents, particularly close to the border with Belgium and Germany. Border towns are flooded by French, Belgian and German ‘drug tourists’ taking advantage of the Netherlands’ more relaxed soft drug policy. What’s more, drug dealers outside the coffee shops try to flag down tourists and make sales at the roadside.
The new money promised by Interior Minister Guusje ter Horst is aimed at encouraging local authorities to investigate ways of cutting down nuisance and encouraging coffee shops to stay small. This fits within the outline of new government drugs policy to be announced next month.
The city of Maastricht, sandwiched between Belgium and Germany in the southern province of Limburg, is to receive an extra 150,000 euros to fund a pass system to combat drugs tourism. Under the city’s proposed scheme, coffee shop customers will need a pass to buy cannabis, making it difficult for foreign day-trippers to make purchases.
The Dutch political parties are divided on the future of Dutch drugs policy. Senior coalition partner the Christian Democrats would like to see coffee shops closed down and the law against cannabis strictly enforced again. The opposition conservative VVD supports the sale of cannabis in coffee shops but is strictly opposed to legalisation.
On the other hand, the Labour Party, the second-largest party in the governing coalition, favours legalising the wholesale market to break the link between coffee shops and the criminal underworld. The opposition Green Left party agrees, and on Monday proposed that Amsterdam should set up its own scheme to allow the regulated cultivation of cannabis to supply the city’s coffee shops.
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I believe that the government shouldn’t care that much about this issue and should spend this amount of money on it. Every individual decides what to do with their live. People who smoke cannabis always find a way to buy it even when it isn’t legal or available. Before ending up at drug rehab Florida, my sister was buying it from some African students. I think that the government action won’t make any difference.
I consider this a great measure to support solving an urging issue of our society. If the authorities considered there is so much attention due to this issue, then they must have a point considering its gravity, which I strongly support and appreciate.
marire sani
That is weird how it is legal for the coffee shop owners to sell it but illegal for them to buy it. Crazy. All over the world there are drug rehab facilities that are helping people to break-free from all addictions.
This is a serious law gap, the coffee shops are allowed to sell cannabis but they are not allowed to buy it? What is that? It's like someone is trying to make a change with no change, it makes no sense. If cannabis is illegal now then make it illegal, not almost illegal, everyone is confused about it.
Rogger - drug rehab Indiana
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