The Netherlands has always been to stoners what Disneyland is to third-graders -- until now. The Dutch government has officially riled up potheads around the world by banning foreign tourists from lighting up at the country's famous cannabis "coffee" shops. The shops, where people could freely buy and smoke marijuana, had been a main draw to Amsterdam. The government said the new law is an effort to crack down on crime. "Screw the Dutch," wrote columnist Joe Klare on "The 420 Times" Web site. "I guess it's a good thing that the Dutch have so many other amazing tourist attractions to lure in foreign money -- like their booming wooden-ships-in-a-bottle industry."
since ill never get another chance to do this..... http://forum.grasscity.com/general-marijuana-news-around-world/824993-dutch-government-ban-tourists-cannabis-shops.html theres already a thread. search button noob
They'll come around once there's a dealer on every Amsterdam street corner. Coffeeshops are supposed to become private clubs with no more than 1500 members, and everyone of those members needs a "weed pass" to buy weed. They're basically alienating every weed smoker in the Netherlands. I hope we can get off the couch for long enough to make some kind of statement
when they realize how bad a decision that was (tourism-wise), any chance the dutch might reverse such laws?
And Now Your Second One....Thanks For The Laugh!!! Yes Bummer about The Dam....But it's All Good if you know Someone eh SJ!!!
As said in the other thread, they give out news like this almost annually, but it usually doesn't affect Amsterdam. I would be very surprised the day you cannot access marijuana as a tourist in Amsterdam.
Not true, when you go to a coffeeshop in the southern places of the Netherlands, you won't be able to enter the coffeeshop. You need a 'pass' to enter there. Only dutch people can get that pass (and the most of us like the idea that only we can enter the coffeeshop, without some stupid forner dude who doesn't know the rules and give us a bad image). And sooner or later you'll need a ticket to enter a coffeeshop in Amsterdam. It's just a matter of time.
I'm not sure that you are right on this, my dutch friends disagree with you. From what Iv understood of rules in Holland when it comes to Amsterdam, is that the capital does not always follow the mainstream or the norm and not even always the law for the of the country. In 2008 they banned magic mushrooms, yet still there is no problem for any tourist to purchase it without much hassle. They say you are not allowed to smoke in public, yet pedestrians light up joints everywhere with police officers simply ignoring it. You are not allowed to mix in tobacco or smoke cigarettes in coffee shops, yet in every coffee shop I visited 3 months ago I was constantly rolling spliffs (always checked with the owner first). They have stated for a very long time that they do not approve of the weed tourism, and due to pressure from EU they have been forced to take some actions.
I don't see this happening in any of the big cities. Maybe they'll implement a system like this in the Southern towns where French and Belgian drug runners have been causing trouble, but I think Amsterdam will definately be safe. If it was up to me the EU would suck our dick and we would never bow down to any pressure from them, but unfortunately my people are too stupid to even realize what the EU does.