Dutch Government to Weigh Cannabis Clamp Down

Discussion in 'Marijuana News' started by Superjoint, Apr 6, 2004.

  1. Is this the end of The Dutch Cannabis Sanctuary??

    SJ


    Dutch Government to Weigh Cannabis Clamp Down

    AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Tourists who flock to Amsterdam to smoke cannabis in its "coffee shops" without fear of prosecution may find their choice curtailed as part of a proposed review of liberal Dutch drug laws.

    The Dutch government is considering a ban on the sale of highly potent strains of cannabis under the proposed review, cabinet sources said on Tuesday.

    The center-right government in the Netherlands, where cannabis smokers can openly buy and smoke the drug in hundreds of government-regulated "coffee shops," is to discuss the proposed review in cabinet on Thursday.

    The government wants to determine if hashish and marijuana with a very high content of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), an active compound in cannabis, should be reclassified as "hard" rather than "soft" drugs, cabinet sources said.


    The Netherlands, where customers can order a vast array of cannabis from coffee shop menus, has reportedly seen a steep rise in THC levels in Dutch-grown cannabis due to refined growing methods.

    The government declined comment on reports it would consider banning the sale of Dutch grown "Nederwiet" with a high THC content under proposals in a so-called "Cannabis Letter" to parliament.

    Some doctors say cannabis use increases the risk of depression and schizophrenia but its use has been widely tolerated by the Dutch for decades. Coffee shops are prohibited from selling "hard drugs" and are carefully monitored.

    The Netherlands, the first country to legalise euthanasia, last year also became the first to make cannabis available as a prescription drug in pharmacies for chronically ill patients.
     

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