nrc.nl - International - Tourists no longer welcome in cannabis-selling coffee shops Well this certainly is bad news. Though I think if California legalizes cannabis than California can more easily make it's transition to "Weed Capital....of the world."
Uhh this better not be true....it's always been my dream to visit the mecca and I was planning to go after graduation : \
The thing is that coffee shops are small business. So we put money into the hands of Amsterdam and blast their GDP through the roof. So they'll see how much they like this idea 2 GDP quarters after they try this...it'll be a lollercoaster when they realize how much their economy relies on stoner tourism. We don't just go there and smoke, we have to eat, rent a hotel, maybe see an attraction or two, rent a car/bike, tip someone on the street, grab a drink, rent a prostitute....
this might as well be the death of them to me, but for them too this can't be good. Limited amount of people and will have to check if there not foriegn or not. That won't be good business at all, and less tourists. Also maybe some pissed off people who won't even know when they go and the law is already established.That means you have to be one of lucky son of bitch to know somebody there to go grab you some. No now just forget about the tourists who bring you in business its all there fault. Thats why they have some crime issues, or own citizens would never do that. You know you thought it was 100% legal there since they sell in coffeeshops wrong, only coffeshops with weird guidelines. Amsterdam is so stupid for not just legalizing 100%, why doesn't no country understand that marijuana has "GREAT" value to its economy. Looks its going to be too late make my dream a reality. Would of been really awesome.
Yea don't worry It didn't happen. all they did this friday was agree on a pilot plan already being implemented in Maastricht for a pass only entrance. The program will fail because dutch people will just go in and buy... then come out and sell on the street... Instead of curbing the crime, the policy will cause more criminal activities... The mayor of amsterdam is an outspoken critic of these bans and completely supports the coffeeshops... The current Dutch Justice Minister stated that they may be banned but doesn't know when... It's all just big smoke that the dutch government comes out with every few years in order to keep the christian conservatives happy.... they come out with an idea to close or bann Coffeeshops... meet and never decide on anything.... Another interesting fact, Any ban which would deny other EU nation members from using the dutch coffeeshops is against European Union Law on the basis of discrimination... we're all still going strong over here.... so come and visit! they shops will stay open peace, hippy
I loved Amsterdam when I went and I think part of the charm of the city and the uniqueness is the tolerance it shows to drugs. I really hope this doesn't pass, because I would love to experience the city the same way I did before.
It would be a signifigant blow to their economy and a very unwise decision in the long term. When I went overseas I spent at least 5K in Amsterdam alone, the majority of it stoned.
Im sure i read something about this a while ago, but they decided that it was being unfair and prejudist to tourists, so they threw it out. Or am i thinking of something elce?
you're right... but the decision was just made this friday coffeeshops will NOT close.... or implement the "pass" system... only the pilot program in Maastricht
Well, thats great that they aren't going to be restricted. My wife and I are planning a trip there next summer, and I was hoping this was going just blow over. It wouldn't really work, if they really put any thought into it. The coffee shops would only be able to sell to a select group of clients, some of whom would just stand outside the coffee shop and take orders from tourists at exaggerated prices and go in and by it for them, then the police would try and stop this and it would just drive it underground, and the whole system would be moving backwards from an open trade system that bypasses criminal organizations, to an underground drug trade that relies on criminal organizations to work just like what we have here in the US. I wish that our politicians and legislatures here in the US would just open their eyes and ears to the truth and see how ignorant our drug policies are.
Amsterdam is awesome. Never have I felt safer anywhere else in the world. These towns that want these bans are mainly only on cities bordering other nations. There are a lot of problems with Belgians coming over, being noisy and rambunctious then driving back to their country. Bans like this will not affect Amsterdam what so ever as a vast majority of there economy is driven by drugs tourism. Bless the Dutch for their lifestyle and I can't wait until my visa clears there so I can move back.
This is absolutely crap, ive been three times to the Dam, and I keep going back, and not just for weed, I like the city, and I like the people I have met there. It will just re encourage street dealers to rip people off. Can they not see that? The last time I was there was in July 2009, and I heard nothing about it, other than the 'new mayor' was trying to 'clean' up the place Equally as an MMJ user in France, from the UK, I am not afraid to move to Holland, to find work. Any advice all?
This policy will never go into effect. The Dutch are too smart to let crap like this pass. Besides they make so much money off tourists they'd have no way of filling the gap. Just bad business sense from the know nothing group. They're everywhere!