No tourist ban or maybe there will be....then again...

[YourGuru]

These posts get hyped up quickly. Fact of the matter is, they have been trying to implement this for almost a decade and I doubt it will ever happen. This is a twisted version of what actually was decided. Yes they want cities to implement the resident only wietpass but as mentioned in another topic this will be decided on a city by city basis. Everyone calm down. If the wave starts in the south and starts gaining momentum then I'll start getting concerned. But even then there's More money for The City of Amsterdam with tourists allowed to purchase small amounts of cannabis than the alternative so I just can't fathom it happening. What you have are misinterpretations of the ideas of right wing xenophobes who are grasping at straws...

[Marnixstraat]

These posts get hyped up quickly. Fact of the matter is, they have been trying to implement this for almost a decade and I doubt it will ever happen. This is a twisted version of what actually was decided. Yes they want cities to implement the resident only wietpass but as mentioned in another topic this will be decided on a city by city basis. Everyone calm down. If the wave starts in the south and starts gaining momentum then I'll start getting concerned. But even then there's More money for The City of Amsterdam with tourists allowed to purchase small amounts of cannabis than the alternative so I just can't fathom it happening. What you have are misinterpretations of the ideas of right wing xenophobes who are grasping at straws...

I'm more in this state of mind, how in the world a city like Amsterdam can implement such a biased concept ?

And politically, I think mayors have a larger power to decide in Nederland.... Anyone ? I hope it will be on a city by city basis

[Twichaldinho]

I'll be seeing you all in November, then April, then November, then April etc.....Not even slightly worried

[YourGuru]

I'll be seeing you all in November, then April, then November, then April etc.....Not even slightly worried

Good man.. +1

[thompaw]

We're in a GLOBAL recession - How the fuck can you say you care about your people when you're about to put thousands of them out of work and out of business?

Lets see how this works in the real world:

In the US, I spend between $2 and $2.50 US at Starbucks for a coffee, or about €1.40.

In Amsterdam, when I visited the Central Coffeeshop each morning for a coffee and a smoke, I spent €15.00 including tip, or $21.50.

Y'all might have some good coffee, but I was spending 10 times as much money compared to what I spend at a Starbucks, I doubt it's enough to maintain the tourist economy. Just how much of that €15.00 goes to taxes? Does that include taxes paid out of the wages? I know that hotels we stayed in raked in some taxes.

It's sort of comforting to know that are other countries with conservative extremists. I guess my only other question, keeping in mind that money is the usual motive, how is this conservative party profiting from this idea? Is it just cash donations to their party? Do the donors realize the hit in the tax base will need to be made up elsewhere?

Is there another angle where the politicians are going to make money from this system? For example in Florida, the newly elected state governor owns a chain of "medical centers" that among other things preforms drug-user testing. He crafted and is going to sign a law requiring Federal welfare recipients living in the state to submit to a drug test.
http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/05/06/2 ... ds-to.html

Perhaps it is just all fluff, to raise money for their campaigns or stimulate the "last chance" tourism. Money can make people do bad things. I just don't see it happening, it would be like Nevada outlawing gambling. Is that a fair comparison?

[Uncle Ron]

I'm reading a lot of denials, and I too am somewhat in denial.
The Dutch government had been talking about this for years as we all know, and last year they stated that measures will be in effect once the EU ruled in their favor, which it did.
It was an official announcement from the ministry and not some bloggers report. This is real, so people need to get a grip and a gram.

No biggy though, I've got Austria next door. A four hour train ride will get me to this place... http://www.hanf-hanf.at/index.php?tab_id=0
...they sell clones. And their seed prices are quite reasonable.

Let's hope this year the voters in Washington State can do what others have failed to do - legalize cannabis.

Nothing happy about this shitte at all....

[thompaw]

Let's hope this year the voters in Washington State can do what others have failed to do - legalize cannabis.

I'm sure California will try again also.

[XANAX]

I'm in denial like everyone else, but I really do think this is the end of AMS for weed tourists. I can only hope it wil be reversed when they see how it affects the local ecomony. However, the damage may be done and will be irreversible once they shut down shops.

Is there someone on the board who is a Amsterdam resident who can provide more clear interpretation. Is this really up to the Mayor and not the state to decide?

[YourGuru]

Marco? Let em know what's up.. Graag.

[Boner]

Marco? Let em know what's up.. Graag.

He doesn't know anymore than any of us can/have found out, the 2 links I provided on the first page came from someone whose girlfriend is Dutch and is heavily involved in the cannabis community in Amsterdam, if she/he's worried then so should everyone else.

[Kingdoc]

Both. They didn't completely dismiss the idea of having the wietpass so that's bad. But they also didn't say that it was going into effect. Basically it's up to individual mayors to make the decision for their Stad and rather to implement it of not. . And seeing how this was designed for towns that border Germany and France, I highly doubt amsterdam's Mayor is going to imply a wIetpass of any sort.

Oh rite, i get ya thanks for that. So like you say not good news but then not the major doom and gloom that some of us expected. I tried another translation tool online on the above article and it said that the wiedpass isnt expected to go in to effect until next year and even then it will only be limited so i suppose anything can happen before then and i cant see amsterdam or any other big non border town adopting the wiedpass if they are given the chance.

I heard they are doing some experiment in limberg this summer with this "weit pass" & the results wont be known untill much later in the year?,Also amsterdams mayor says so called "weed tourists" arnt a problem there anyways! a weed tourist to me is someone who enters the country for about an hour & spends NOTHING except to stock up on his "smoke" or get his dick wet maybe,Someone who goes with his other half & spends a shitload of money on a wide range of goods & services over say 10-14 days + visits other places in the nederlands & elsewhere arnt weed tourists imo! i mean what a derogatory term to use against people who have worked hard & saved up even harder to make there trip a reality,Have they ever thought that people may actualy like the nederlands?,Its like saying i am a duvel addict & i only go to belgium to drink theres as i am a user & an alcoholic,Even thou you CAN buy duvel here by the caseload ,KD.

[Cisco]

And he also says don't panic until the ruling next month

[Kingdoc]

And he also says don't panic until the ruling next month

Well they seem to have moved away from any outright ban for what i can see,Them making owners choose what there customer base will be? what a stuipd arsed idea & it shows they are finding it hard to push threw what wilders & this mark ruitte wants,If they could they would just ban the lot of us & that would be the end of it! them trying to split hairs now shows were making it hard for them at least,Fingers crossed cisco! & lets hope this govt falls sooner than later,KD.

[cantona7]

I'm reading a lot of denials, and I too am somewhat in denial.
The Dutch government had been talking about this for years as we all know, and last year they stated that measures will be in effect once the EU ruled in their favor, which it did.
It was an official announcement from the ministry and not some bloggers report. This is real, so people need to get a grip and a gram.

No biggy though, I've got Austria next door. A four hour train ride will get me to this place... http://www.hanf-hanf.at/index.php?tab_id=0
...they sell clones. And their seed prices are quite reasonable.

Let's hope this year the voters in Washington State can do what others have failed to do - legalize cannabis.

Nothing happy about this shitte at all....

i signed the petition to get it on the ballot. whos to say the next place to legalize(big if) wont make some sort of thing to ban tourists as well though.

[Marco]

Marco? Let em know what's up.. Graag.

He doesn't know anymore than any of us can/have found out, the 2 links I provided on the first page came from someone whose girlfriend is Dutch and is heavily involved in the cannabis community in Amsterdam, if she/he's worried then so should everyone else.

If you think that MHD somehow deeply understand this country, then by all means listen to him. His jaded view of this country will just what you guys need to start hating the place that was only a drug-destination for most of you anyways.

Perhaps since weed is not the beginning and end to my day, I can take a more jaded view. For what its worth, I had a chat a while back with someone in the de Rechstspraak (a client) who told me there is zero desire by Dutch prosecutors and judge to see this new law, and there will be virtually NO cases brought to court based on possession or small-level dealing. Your trusted source was frankly involved in the problem that got us to where we are: blatant disregard for the law and community standard in border towns. Even if local governments were complicit, it was the greedy-ass dealers, ignoring the wishes of border towns to not become drive-ins for Belgians, Germans and French. Despite its flaws, the drug legislation here is very progressive (hard and soft) and anyone who pushed the limits, whether it was a shop that had 5 kilos or a punter asking for 10 grams, contributed to this problem. I put myself in that category, btw.

I have only lived here 3 years, but my day to day to day experience involves Dutch people and only Dutch people, in terms of what do for a living. These are not cannabis insiders, but normal people living here. As I said many times, they are tired of being viewed as a drug haven, rightly or wrongly, and they vote.

Yesterday I spoke with two owners of Coffeeshops (one Chapiteau) and they are not worried. They do not believe it will be implemented, and if it is, they do not believe it will be enforced. That is all I know.

And God-forbid the weedpass is really introduced and enforced, ffs, people will have to go somewhere else to get high. I think its not that hard.

Peace