Up in smoke! Dutch to ban tourists from buying pot

neovdr · Post by **neovdr** » Sat 4th Dec 2010 06:30 am

Also the whole thing about only dutch citizens getting alowed. They will have to give everybody the right to be a member, not just dutch citizens (EU law prohibits discrimination on nationality). Even if they go with Dutch Residents (regardless) they will still have problems as they would be dicriminating based on geography now. (Imagine Mercedes selling cars only to Germans, or people living in Germany). The only thing they can do is hinder "outlanders" from getting passes so easily. Hey if they implement it in Amsterdam you will probably have your pass waiting for you at your favorite coffeeshops.

The Dutch are very resourceful people!

westerkerk · Post by **westerkerk** » Sat 4th Dec 2010 08:04 am

Interestingly, this was being talked about back in 2005 when I stayed a little B&B near Frederiksplein with the wife. The owner of it was telling us about these 'passes' then and how the government wanted to implement them. He seemed to be unfazed by them and said if it happens he would employ a concierge to sort tourists out... haha

The more I think about this, the more I think any gung-ho proposals will fail if put into place.

Marco · Post by **Marco** » Sat 4th Dec 2010 08:09 am

neovdr wrote:Also the whole thing about only dutch citizens getting alowed. They will have to give everybody the right to be a member, not just dutch citizens (EU law prohibits discrimination on nationality). Even if they go with Dutch Residents (regardless) they will still have problems as they would be dicriminating based on geography now. (Imagine Mercedes selling cars only to Germans, or people living in Germany). The only thing they can do is hinder "outlanders" from getting passes so easily. Hey if they implement it in Amsterdam you will probably have your pass waiting for you at your favorite coffeeshops. The Dutch are very resourceful people!

Sadly, this is probably not correct. There was already a preliminary position on this from the EU courts in Luxembourg. Since cannabis remains illegal in NL, the EU rules you correctly refer to for normal goods and services does not apply.

NedFlanders · Post by **NedFlanders** » Sat 4th Dec 2010 08:17 am

i agree to marco. the judgement about this case is expected end of decembre (16th i think). If they really introduce passes they will definitly be only for dutch citizens. i also doubt that a concierge will be possible cause the limit of 5g per day.
My opinion is that things could change soon - but theres still a little hope for amsterdam.

Marco · Post by **Marco** » Sat 4th Dec 2010 09:04 am

NedFlanders wrote:i agree to marco. the judgement about this case is expected end of decembre (16th i think). If they really introduce passes they will definitly be only for dutch citizens. i also doubt that a concierge will be possible cause the limit of 5g per day.
My opinion is that things could change soon - but theres still a little hope for amsterdam.

Hmmmm....I would think it will include legal residents of NL, probably based on whether you are properly registered in your apartment.

carlazi · Post by **carlazi** » Sat 4th Dec 2010 12:57 pm

As all the articles state it will be for Dutch residents not just citizens. I guess this is a EU law that residents have the same rights as citizens.

westerkerk · Post by **westerkerk** » Sat 4th Dec 2010 01:56 pm

Does anyone think this could be implemented from 1st Jan?

brodude · Post by **brodude** » Sat 4th Dec 2010 02:11 pm

i'm sure you can expect at the very least 6 months after they made their final decision.

Marco · Post by **Marco** » Sat 4th Dec 2010 03:04 pm

westerkerk wrote:Does anyone think this could be implemented from 1st Jan?

NO WAY.

And let's not give up hope. Sanity may yet prevail!

westerkerk · Post by **westerkerk** » Sat 4th Dec 2010 04:03 pm

brodude wrote:i'm sure you can expect at the very least 6 months after they made their final decision.

Yeah that's what I thought. In some of my earlier posts I was talking about the logistics involved in such a change in the rules and that I wouldn't expect any wholesale changes in NL, affecting Amsterdam to come in until at least 2012. But I guess it depends on how simplistic the polices end up being. If its as soft and shallow as the tobacco ban, then it could be quick to implement and there is hardly a point in worrying about it. If they want it to work, and to last, then it will take a lot longer to come in.

NedFlanders · Post by **NedFlanders** » Tue 7th Dec 2010 08:43 am

http://translate.google.de/translate?hl ... news.nl%2F

the governments answer to "a banwould not be practicable". i think it could also be a reaction if the european court decides that a ban does not accord to eu law

BlueStarHaze · Post by **BlueStarHaze** » Tue 7th Dec 2010 09:14 am

NedFlanders wrote:i agree to marco. the judgement about this case is expected end of decembre (16th i think). If they really introduce passes they will definitly be only for dutch citizens. i also doubt that a concierge will be possible cause the limit of 5g per day.
My opinion is that things could change soon - but theres still a little hope for amsterdam.

The case opens on the 16th. The judgement is expected in February, as far as I have heard here in NL.

BSH

westerkerk · Post by **westerkerk** » Tue 7th Dec 2010 05:08 pm

BlueStarHaze wrote:
NedFlanders wrote:i agree to marco. the judgement about this case is expected end of decembre (16th i think). If they really introduce passes they will definitly be only for dutch citizens. i also doubt that a concierge will be possible cause the limit of 5g per day.
My opinion is that things could change soon - but theres still a little hope for amsterdam.
The case opens on the 16th. The judgement is expected in February, as far as I have heard here in NL.

BSH

Yup, I've heard that.

I spoke to my dutch friend Zarik last night on Skype. He lives over in New Zealand now but still keeps close contacts with his family who are dotted around NL and Belgium.

Inevitably we got onto this topic and he says he has spoken to some family back home and passed this info onto me. It would mean no chance of a January 1st implementation date which is what I heard from my mate who lives in Antwerp.

My friend in NZ, his wife has a brother who works in a coffeeshop in RLD (i won't name him or the shop), and he was saying that a lot of people are saying 'we'll be here on NYE for one last blowout' thinking 1/1/11 is the apocalypse...

Basically it seems that if, and only if, these proposals are voted on favourably, then depending on how they choose to execute them, we have probably got anything from summer next year to early 2012 before they come in. Thats my opinion though.

darkglobe · Post by **darkglobe** » Tue 7th Dec 2010 05:42 pm

BlueStarHaze wrote:
NedFlanders wrote:i agree to marco. the judgement about this case is expected end of decembre (16th i think). If they really introduce passes they will definitly be only for dutch citizens. i also doubt that a concierge will be possible cause the limit of 5g per day.
My opinion is that things could change soon - but theres still a little hope for amsterdam.
The case opens on the 16th. The judgement is expected in February, as far as I have heard here in NL.

BSH

According to this report http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2 ... rage_m.php
"The European court of justice will rule on December 16 whether banning foreigners from entering Coffee Shops is legal under EU law".

sea72 · Post by **sea72** » Tue 7th Dec 2010 06:40 pm

darkglobe wrote:
BlueStarHaze wrote:
NedFlanders wrote:i agree to marco. the judgement about this case is expected end of decembre (16th i think). If they really introduce passes they will definitly be only for dutch citizens. i also doubt that a concierge will be possible cause the limit of 5g per day.
My opinion is that things could change soon - but theres still a little hope for amsterdam.
The case opens on the 16th. The judgement is expected in February, as far as I have heard here in NL.

BSH
According to this report http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2 ... rage_m.php
"The European court of justice will rule on December 16 whether banning foreigners from entering Coffee Shops is legal under EU law".

yep i read it!