Dutch soft drugs advocates critical of new cabinet policy

Puffin13 · Post by **Puffin13** » Thu 10th Sep 2009 06:37 am

Dutch soft drugs advocates critical of new cabinet policy
9 September 2009

Famous or infamous, the relaxed Dutch policy towards the use and sale of soft drugs has as many supporters as it does opponents. After years of neglecting the problems that come with this policy, the Dutch cabinet has finally decided to tackle its shortcomings. But coffeeshop owners and soft drugs advocates are critical of the measures it is proposing.

A revision of the Dutch soft drugs policy is a difficult issue politically. The three parties that make up the Dutch cabinet – Christian Democrats, Labour and a small Christian party – have always had conflicting views on soft drugs. While the Christian parties wanted to close all coffeeshops, Labour insisted on further legalisation of the production and use of soft drugs.

Foreign tourists

But the Dutch cabinet has finally managed to bridge the gap. Coffeeshops will not be closed, it says, but measures will be taken to keep the number of customers under control. One of the biggest problems caused by coffeeshops is the influx of foreign tourists, especially from Belgium, France and Germany, who travel to border towns in the east and south of the Netherlands to buy cannabis and other soft drugs there.

The city of Terneuzen in the Zeeland province – near the Belgian border – had 2,000 tourists a day when its main coffeeshop was still open, which led to huge traffic and public order problems.

Pass system

The cabinet now wants to give local authorities more power to keep coffeeshops small-scale. It is proposing introducing a scheme whereby only local people are allowed to visit a coffeeshop, controlled by a pass system. This would make it virtually impossible for tourists to buy anything in a coffeeshop.

The new measures have been heavily criticised as insufficient to solve the real problems. But Labour MP Laura Bouwmeester says they will bring improvements. 'The world is becoming more realistic', she says. 'People are using and buying soft drugs everywhere and many people are doing it in a very responsible manner. So why would you want to criminalise that?'. She admits that any problems that come with it have to be tackled. 'We are now showing we can offer a solution. That's our gain here'.

Missing link

Soft drugs advocates strongly disagree. Raymond Dufour of the Netherlands Drug Policy Foundation says other steps are necessary. 'There is a missing link in the legalisation of cannabis', he says. 'That's the production of the cannabis. That is not allowed which means criminal gangs can currently exploit this missing link. We should take away this golden cake from the gangs, but unfortunately, the production remains illegal in the cabinet's new plans'.

Mr Dufour also sees many practical problems if local authorities want to bar tourists from going into a coffeeshop. 'We have a problem with European law here, as all European citizens should be treated equally', he notes. 'This question has been put to the European Court of Justice and it will take years before we have a final answer'.

Amsterdam

'It also won't solve the problems in a city like Amsterdam', he adds. 'Many tourists buy their cannabis in coffeeshops there. If they can't buy it anymore, the sale will go underground as in many other cities in the world'.

Mr Dufour has slammed the new plans as the result of a 'tepid compromise' between the three parties in the cabinet with no real solution to the problems in the current soft drugs policy.

No end to tolerance

But at least, he says, the new policy won't put an end to the principle of tolerant views on the use of soft drugs in The Netherlands. “A total prohibition simply won't work, and the cabinet realises that,” he says.

Source

HighJackerrr · Post by **HighJackerrr** » Thu 10th Sep 2009 08:32 am

I dont think this bill has any legs. Seems poorly thought out and goes against what has kept the country from experiencing the same underground or illegal drug activity that other countries suffer from.

Pauli Wallnuts · Post by **Pauli Wallnuts** » Thu 10th Sep 2009 07:38 pm

so this time tomorow we could all be booking up our final few trips before the law is introduced, it really will be a sad situation if this law comes into being, heres hoping those fundamentalists fail

Trichome_Dense · Post by **Trichome_Dense** » Thu 10th Sep 2009 07:55 pm

Bah, humbug!

sucky!

gixxer · Post by **gixxer** » Thu 10th Sep 2009 07:59 pm

cant really see this happening. wonder who,ll be the first tourist to go to the european court of human rights to sue for not being sold drugs

aradiasraven · Post by **aradiasraven** » Thu 10th Sep 2009 08:40 pm

If it dose happen it will be challenged Eu laws prohibit this kind of thing. I think it will be over turned in the long term but would cause a lot of problems for both those who visit the NL for CSs and the Nls f as they will loose a great source of revenue. I am sure "pot Tourist "do cause some problems for locals .IMO in log run the benfit for NL out ways the negatives. On the other side of the ocean and otherside of the laws California may soon legalize marihuana, so if both laws happen, ie if the NLs prohibits "tourist" sales and Cali. legalizes then folks here will start going to Oaksterdam and this will become the Oasterdam directory

:l. I for one hope that both places will make it legal 100 percent and the rest of the world will follow.If they really want to get crime out of the pot bussiness the only way to ensure this is to legalize and regulate it. Imo the regualtion should favor small growers and coffee shops that provide a good safe and healthy herb.

Ingwey Gooblebogger · Thu 10th Sep 2009 09:09 pm

Whenever these sort of articles are published I am always very sceptical about the bans ever coming into effect.

I think these bills are done as a bargainig chip (to tip the hats) to the supporters of the religious parties (Christian Democrats. Chrisiten Uni, etc). As in, "See we are tough on crime/immorality/etc...keep those votes coming".. The government keeps its kool-aide drinkers happy while knowing that there is no way these things will pass.

This is similar to the religious pandering that the US Republican party did from the Reagan years onward and, sadly, that other countries have now adopted. The Republicans weren't really going to (federally) ban abortions and so on, but their talk fooled the knuckle-dragging, religio-nut looneytune, NRA-loving, right-wing retards into thinking that they would.
The issues weren't big enough for the midlde-of-the-road folks to really rebel against.

The votes kept coming until the raving right became so goofy that they had zero credibilty with the middle of the road, and hence, largest voting block. Then the Republican got turfed. (YAY!)

I reckon that this Dutch policy is of a similar nature.

Second, (especially), in an economic downturn, it is not wise to further cripple one of your biggest industries. I wonder if their finance ministry has evaluated the economic effect of such a ban?

cantona7 · Post by **cantona7** » Thu 10th Sep 2009 09:23 pm

hope this doesn't go through.

Kingdoc · Post by **Kingdoc** » Thu 10th Sep 2009 09:37 pm

You would think places like amsterdam would be the exempt? limburg well fair enough but an outright blanket ban would be s**t like.

1tonTomato · Post by **1tonTomato** » Thu 10th Sep 2009 10:08 pm

Kingdoc wrote:You would think places like amsterdam would be the exempt? limburg well fair enough but an outright blanket ban would be s**t like.

I agree with kingdoc; Amsterdam is a tourist destination in the NL. I can't imagine them doing anything to hurt tourist dollars, I'm speaking based on living in a tourist driven economy where I live the amount of money that comes into the state and the countyi live in that it can never be replaced, between sales tax hotel stay taxes, and rent-a-car taxes, the city and state make billions, so much so that they restore beaches and spend about 150million a year on it. Them tourist sure love their sand.

But i still am keeping a close sad eye to this story for my trip in February might not be as great as i once dreamed

Day · Post by **Day** » Thu 10th Sep 2009 10:20 pm

Terrible idea, with the RLD they'll still get loads of tourists and people will continue to drink and cause the problems. Not to mention people will just buy from the CS and then resell to tourists.

And surely it is against some EU ruling to discriminate people based on their nationality/where they live?

Kingdoc · Post by **Kingdoc** » Thu 10th Sep 2009 10:20 pm

1tonTomato wrote:
Kingdoc wrote:You would think places like amsterdam would be the exempt? limburg well fair enough but an outright blanket ban would be s**t like.
I agree with kingdoc; Amsterdam is a tourist destination in the NL. I can't imagine them doing anything to hurt tourist dollars, I'm speaking based on living in a tourist driven economy where I live the amount of money that comes into the state and the countyi live in that it can never be replaced, between sales tax hotel stay taxes, and rent-a-car taxes, the city and state make billions, so much so that they restore beaches and spend about 150million a year on it. Them tourist sure love their sand.

But i still am keeping a close sad eye to this story for my trip in February might not be as great as i once dreamed

The impression i get is that they are gona look into the issue,Nothing was ruled in or out last time i saw there statements! but still i look forward to hearing there drivel tomorrow,If push comes to shove it could be a goodbye from me i have to say! the south of spain during november or pounding the streets of a freezing/wet amsterdam with F all? let me see.

Puffin13 · Post by **Puffin13** » Fri 11th Sep 2009 05:52 am

Cabinet plan to tackle drug tourists criticised

The cabinet's plan to introduce a pass system that would prevent foreigners visiting coffee shops - marijuana cafés - leaked out Wednesday
and AD reports that the Cannabis and Coffeeshop Association (BCD) is furious.

Michael Veling of the BCD fumed: "Banning foreigners is discrimination, pure and simple".

The government's national marijuana pass will only be available to Dutch nationals over the age of 18 and restricts the number of coffee shop visits to one per day and a maximum purchase of three grams.

The government move comes in response to an increase in problems caused by drug tourists in towns and cities along the Dutch borders.

In response, Veling said “the pass system will force drug tourists to buy on the streets and that will cause huge problems".

Maastricht Mayor Gerd Leers has enthusiastically welcomed the pass plan but notes that the European Court could rule against the proposal.

Meanwhile, coffeeshop owners in the southern border city are not in favour of the plan.

"Drug tourists spend EUR 140 million in Maastricht annually. That equals 1,900 full-time jobs, it's economic madness to ban them," said a spokesperson for the local BCD.

Source

evergrey1968 · Post by **evergrey1968** » Fri 11th Sep 2009 08:05 am

Great idea - not ! - will just send my other half in to buy for me....and what happens if I marry her, do I get Dutch citizenship ?

How big is the drug tourism problem anyway, is it just being used as an excuse or is it a genuine case of a significant minority spoiling it for those who don't cause a problem and know how to behave ?

seanlyall · Post by **seanlyall** » Fri 11th Sep 2009 12:31 pm

Why is there always this talk of changing Amsterdam? I love the place as it is and I never want anything to change about it. Sure I could live without the RLD but I wouldnt want to! The reason I go to Holland (and many others) is not just to get high but because of the laid back culture, if they lose this then I will be going somewhere else 3 times a year!