Strong MJ to be treated as class A drug,Dutch Govt.plans

[donpacino]

I have just been on the official dutch governments website and there is no mention of this at all i would of thought a change in law like this would make it on to there website if it was going in to effect, from what i can see no official statement has been made as of yet.

http://www.rijksoverheid.nl/regering/he ... ddrug.html

http://www.rijksoverheid.nl/nieuws/2011 ... ddrug.html

I cant read those they are in dutch and im on my mobile phone so it cant translate it.

[Weemanio]

horrendous carry on!! their goverment really do want to see an end to the coffee shop!!

what the fuck is wrong with them?? are they full on religous headcases or whats the story?

if this has been passed its a sad sad day!

[Boner]

Code: Select all

Heavy cannabis hard drug

Press Release | 10.07.2011

The Cabinet has proposed by Schippers Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport and Minister of Security and Justice Opstelten the government's response set to the report "Drugs in lists" of the expert committee Opium list system (the commission Garretsen).

The government's response is that the system of the Opium Act with two lists (List I with List II of hard drugs and soft drugs) remains unchanged.

One of the most salient recommendations of the committee is making a distinction between cannabis with low and high THC content. The government has this advice. Heavy cannabis (THC content of 15% or more) in Schedule I of the Opium Act and is thus placed a hard drug.

The government wants a strong signal that cannabis is seen as a means to an unacceptable risk. A high THC content plays a role in increased damage to health, especially when used at an early age. Consumption and production of heavy cannabis should be reduced. Under a new order in council will in future only cannabis coffeeshops are allowed to offer with a THC content of up to 15%. On trade, import and export of heavy cannabis are higher penalties to stand.

The government also takes the proposal of the commission on a hotline to set up monitoring of new resources. The hotline to the use and prevalence of new, synthetic drugs often mapping. The hotline will be hosted by the Drugs Information and Monitoring System that is part of the Trimbos Institute. 

Code: Select all

Heavy cannabis hard drug

News item | 07/10/2011

The government wants heavy cannabis (with a THC content of 15% or more) in Schedule I of the Opium Act places. This is a hard drug.

This writes the government in response to the report "Drugs in lists' of the commission Garretsen. The scheme of the Opium Act with two lists (List I with List II of hard drugs and soft drugs) remains unchanged.

The government sees strong cannabis as a means to an unacceptable risk. A high THC content plays a role in increased damage to health, especially when used at an early age. Therefore, the consumption and production of heavy cannabis reduced.
Higher penalties

Coffee shops will be allowed to offer only cannabis with a THC content of up to 15%. On trade, import and export of heavy cannabis are higher penalties to stand.
New drug hotline

The government also wants to set up a hotline where new, synthetic drugs often are identified. The hotline is hosted by the Drugs Information and Monitoring System, which is part of the Trimbos Institute. 

[donpacino]

Code: Select all

Heavy cannabis hard drug

Press Release | 10.07.2011

The Cabinet has proposed by Schippers Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport and Minister of Security and Justice Opstelten the government's response set to the report "Drugs in lists" of the expert committee Opium list system (the commission Garretsen).

The government's response is that the system of the Opium Act with two lists (List I with List II of hard drugs and soft drugs) remains unchanged.

One of the most salient recommendations of the committee is making a distinction between cannabis with low and high THC content. The government has this advice. Heavy cannabis (THC content of 15% or more) in Schedule I of the Opium Act and is thus placed a hard drug.

The government wants a strong signal that cannabis is seen as a means to an unacceptable risk. A high THC content plays a role in increased damage to health, especially when used at an early age. Consumption and production of heavy cannabis should be reduced. Under a new order in council will in future only cannabis coffeeshops are allowed to offer with a THC content of up to 15%. On trade, import and export of heavy cannabis are higher penalties to stand.

The government also takes the proposal of the commission on a hotline to set up monitoring of new resources. The hotline to the use and prevalence of new, synthetic drugs often mapping. The hotline will be hosted by the Drugs Information and Monitoring System that is part of the Trimbos Institute. 

Code: Select all

Heavy cannabis hard drug

News item | 07/10/2011

The government wants heavy cannabis (with a THC content of 15% or more) in Schedule I of the Opium Act places. This is a hard drug.

This writes the government in response to the report "Drugs in lists' of the commission Garretsen. The scheme of the Opium Act with two lists (List I with List II of hard drugs and soft drugs) remains unchanged.

The government sees strong cannabis as a means to an unacceptable risk. A high THC content plays a role in increased damage to health, especially when used at an early age. Therefore, the consumption and production of heavy cannabis reduced.
Higher penalties

Coffee shops will be allowed to offer only cannabis with a THC content of up to 15%. On trade, import and export of heavy cannabis are higher penalties to stand.
New drug hotline

The government also wants to set up a hotline where new, synthetic drugs often are identified. The hotline is hosted by the Drugs Information and Monitoring System, which is part of the Trimbos Institute. 

Thanks boner. So am i right when i say that at this stage it is just a proposal by the cabinet and still has to go through all the usual red tape before it is policy?

[Boner]

Yeah it certainly looks in the proposal stage still, hopefully people will see sense.

[Semprini]

Also just read somewhere that the way they'll be monitoring it is the police will conduct random tests of weed samples from coffeeshops, and it is the coffeeshops' responsibity to ensure their product falls within the permitted potency.

I thought this would probably be the way they would go about it. By doing this, all the onus is on the coffeeshops and this could be a very easy way for the government to start shuting them down if they find any product that is above the regulated THC level. Worrying times if this does go through....

[donpacino]

Yeah it certainly looks in the proposal stage still, hopefully people will see sense.

Well that is good, at least we are not defeated yet.

[CannaSir]

Well it aint passed til it's passed tho they're certainly showing some hard-line determination with this move. As the common hoi-polloi we have no way of really knowing 'why' they're pursuing this so assiduously. I'll speculate, however, that aside from the mega-powerful pharma- and brewing-industry lobbies (and hypocrisies etc), the simple fact of the existence of such a symbol of freedom and tolerance is seen as an embarrassment to the increasingly right-wing (or crypto-right wing) European administrations. I bet the current Dutch government gets regular and frequent hassle from its R-wing buddies around the continent to stamp out the last 'authorised' remnant of the 60's free-spirited legacy while they still have the reins of power!

[HasAnyoneSeenMyPipe]

Well put Canna-Sir, it aint passed till it passed people though there are some pretty big noises about this, as boner said hopefully someone will see sense as it is bloody crazy and is clearly just another attemp of the current bunch of lunatics in power to move the goalposts on the coffeeshops, the bastards just cannot take thieir head out of the sand and admit the concept of coffeeshops fucking works. I just cant imagine going to amsterdam and not being able to sample voyagers top drawer weed or buying a half gram of terminator, the silver bubble was DEFINITELY over 15%, be a shame and a fucking crime to see that classed with fucking heroin.
Rant over.

[CannaSir]

the silver bubble was DEFINITELY over 15%, be a shame and a fucking crime to see that classed with fucking heroin.
Rant over.

Yeah I recall the silver bubble - NIIICE! Lol - I've just rescheduled my next visit to during the Cup!

And 'ranting' is totally appropriate!

[donpacino]

TBH i think this is a load of bollocks, every year there is something else and every year nothing changes, when i first heard of the weed pass 2 years ago i was instantly worried and spent weeks, no months researching worrying only for nothing to happen. Since then there has been various ideas this goverment has had about weed etc and none of them pan out, to the point where i no longer worry about it.

On the surface it seems that the government may have finally won this time though, like it has been pointed out by limiting the strength of the THC will push the price up thus meaning people will stop coming as they will not want to pay top dolla for low stregth gear, but if you really think about there is many obstacles the government still faces, including the parliament debates, opposition partys not supporting the plans and the basic policing of this, plus i am sure there are other factors we have not thought about. Maybe the cities might oppose it citing street dealing will increase (like the weed pass issue) maybe it will be ignored by the cities, like many laws allready in place are. Alot of you say the big brewies etc have clout with the government but no one can say the big coffee shops dont either, we simply dont know what happens behind the scenes (the dutch government are known for being too secretive), but if they to have clout i cant see them just lying down for this. There will also no doubt be many respectable professors and big universites who put there bit in to. So really at the moment there is no need to worry to much i think and best to just watch and see how this plays out.

But really, in a worst case scenario this does happen and we are only left with marijuana below 15% THC available to us then is it really the end of the world?? We will still be able to smoke there, for me and im sure alot of the other people on here it is the ability to be able to purchase and smoke my weed in open and without hiding away, it is not just being able to buy super strength gear anyway for many people on here, me included, the gear available will still be better to what they can get at home. And i have also read on this site that some people grow there own weed at home to a much higher quality and strength but just go to amsterdam to enjoy the vibe of the city and coffee shops etc. It will be a huge shame though as i do like to smoke strong weed too and it will be a step backwards towards full legilisation but it will not stop me going, that i am sure of.

Anyway i have proper waffled on here sorry if have bored anyone.

[HasjDreamer]

Right now? Doesn't matter much to me either way - I really don't want to go somewhere where I'm not wanted or welcome... This may or may not pass but I no longer feel the Netherlands is as "weed friendly" as people make it out to be. Yeah, they let us smoke in the coffeeshops but it's becoming pretty clear that they look down on us weed tourists and would rather we just stay home. I do feel bad for the coffeeshop owners/workers/patrons; obviously, they're still cool and hate what's going on but I've hung out and chatted with too many Amsterdamers (in coffeeshops too!) that support and make excuses for their beloved Wilders.

We're fighting an uphill battle folks and it's beginning to feel like unrequited love; isn't Spain, Portugal or Czech Republic super-pot friendly? I know NOWHERE has that cool-ass coffeeshop scene like the 'dam but c'mon folks, there HAS to be an alternative?! I say seek out the options and send a message ASAP to the Neverlands by NOT spending your hard-earned cash in their country. I'm sorry, but us smokers MUST have some sort of economic impact. Just me and my wife alone were dropping $10k yearly (including flights from the US, of course) and HOW many people are on this forum alone??

That being said, I'll update everyone on our California plans and/or Jamaica (or maybe even Chefchauen) and anyone in the area at the time can join us for a spliff somewhere other than the 'dam.

[HasAnyoneSeenMyPipe]

Spain isnt what I would call super pot friendly, though it is VERY easy to get, I just wouldn't walk past a Guardia Civil blazing a joint unless you want yer head mashed in, I am sure the Spanish government would soon crack down on weed if they had an influx of pot tourists if the netherlands shut up shop. To be fair no country really wants to be known as a pot capital. Madness I know but thats the way it is. Spain was always my number 1 holiday destination, though i do not go for the smoking, weather and beaches is where its at for me and nice lump of moroccan just to be sure.
That reminds me, must get me skates on and get 2 weeks booked for August, the wife reckons she go loopy if we dont get to Spain next year.

[Cisco]

So what is the situation then ? It was reported at the start of the thread that this was now in place but as the thread has gone on it's now seeming as if this is not Fact and still in the CONSIDER stage !

[Cisco]

Peter Lunk (involved with Birdy in Haarlem) says it's been passed, just because the translation has come across a bit wrong doesn't mean it isn't going to happen.

So has it actually happened then ? Cause as iv said above after initial reports that it has been passed , now it seems as if they are either still considering it or it won't happen until next year