hip hip hurray dutch goverment falls !

[CHELSEA_SMOKERS_SOCIETY]

Yeah im not particularly hot on dutch politics, but realistically i cant see why Wilders or any politician would do this unless there was a benefit to be had. He may not be popular with most on here, but he's not an idiot.

[weedhog]

I'm glad I moved to the Netherlands and got my citezenship already... Wilders does seem a little nutty and very much a racist.

[nel z bub]

For certain Wilders will be angling to gain from this situation.
One can only hope that he, his vile views and his bigoted party are sent packing at the polls.
I would hope that, given the current level of activism from within the coffeeshop industry, there will be efforts made to promote those parties that have a more favorable attitude towards them.
I know that this happened at the last election, with flyers distributed pointing out the positions of all the parties with regard to the coffeeshops.
After years of lurching to the right it could be the time for a swing back the other way.
we live in hope.....
(and die in despair! ).

[Surfer Joe]

Whoever gets a leg up, the issue seems to be about the economy, so let's hope that they realize that killing the pot tourism is going to hurt their bottom line, and they kill the weed pass policy.

[bingo]

I thought the push for the anti coffee shop legislation was coming more from the CDA? I may well have this wrong, can somebody local/better informed confirm this? Personally I don't really see prohibition (in general) as a leftwing/right wing issue so much as libertarian/authoritarian.

[medal]

dont be to happy there wont change a thing about the weed pas. its already there en will be needed from the first of mei en 1 ste of januari in amsterdam:(. en right wil loose a lot of votes vvd cda en pvv are loosing vote's to sp d66, en they are for legalisation of weed ( d66 wants to legalise almost al drugs ) so maybe they wil change the rules again somewhere in 2013/14.

[NedFlanders]

http://translate.googleusercontent.com/ ... ukF7DLcjFQ

[medal]

thats what i just said :$

ah well i dont realy care never enter a shop en will not get the pass there is far better weed around for far less then shop prices

[spidergawd]

If the law is similar to UK, then the situation is that the Weedpass etc laws have passed on to the statute book and can only be changed by the same time consuming political process that produced them. i.e. an incoming government cant just change laws it doesn't like, and repeal of cannabis might not be high on their agenda. However "it's the economy stupid" and every euro counts.

50/50 who knows, I dont.

[medal]

it al depends on who gets most votes , if you get somthing like this pvda sp d66 vvd there is a change on full legalisation

[donpacino]

Just because the law is there it doesnt mean it will be enforced, if a coffeeshop friendly government gets in to power then they may simply allow the coffeeshops to carry on like normal or they may postpone the start date again and then never announce another one.....if this is the case tho the bloody stupid law will still be there hanging over the coffeeshops heads, creating alot of uncertainty.

Just a thought like

[spidergawd]

Just because the law is there it doesnt mean it will be enforced, if a coffeeshop friendly government gets in to power then they may simply allow the coffeeshops to carry on like normal or they may postpone the start date again and then never announce another one.....if this is the case tho the bloody stupid law will still be there hanging over the coffeeshops heads, creating alot of uncertainty.

Just a thought like

I totally agree that could/may be the future situation. Those town councils that want to TRY to enforce it will and places like Amsterdam/Haarlam might take a different approach. The game is still on and it's all to play for, be interesting what the court ruling is on the 27th (I think).

[A Leprechaun]

The basics are that the local mayor will decide policy,those places close to borders will introduce a pass of some sort,Amsterdam will probably chose not to,a pisser if you want to smoke in the border regions not so if you are in the larger towns cities away from the border,the mayor has always had the right to do this anyway.Under the pass system there are people working and living in the Dam who will not be able to get a pass,don't worry yet,unless you wish to venture to the border areas.

[A Leprechaun]

Yeah im not particularly hot on dutch politics, but realistically i cant see why Wilders or any politician would do this unless there was a benefit to be had. He may not be popular with most on here, but he's not an idiot.

Treat it as if you are reading the Mail or the Express,and then you will probably get the reason why he is doing this.

[ed the head]

http://translate.googleusercontent.com/ ... ukF7DLcjFQ

That was a great link, thank you very much.

For those who may have skipped over this link, a succinct (and updated!) Dutch English explanation from Coffeeshop Nieuws

"Refusing tourists from coffee shops open plain and Discrimination, just like Refusing a foreigner from a bar or disco. ...Report discrimination via this Politie link http://translate.google.com/translate?h ... md%3DimvnsBecause it shows That you can just go to the police, after you have <sic>leg refused entrance to a coffeeshop in the Netherlands, except in the City of Maastricht. ...