Uncertainties about decentralising cannabis cafes
6 April 2007
AMSTERDAM – It will take at least three years before the cannabis cafes are moved from the city centre of Maastricht to the outskirts of the city. During this period anything can happen that might threaten the policy of spreading out cannabis cafes. This emerged from a plan presented to the city council by the municipal executive of Maastricht on Thursday.
It is possible that the coalition agreement could still disrupt the plans. The coalition agreement stipulates that cannabis cafes may not be located too close to the border. Furthermore, it is not yet clear whether the smoking ban for the catering industry will also apply to hash cafes. These two restrictions make owners of cannabis cafes less eager to voluntarily cooperate in relocating their businesses from the centre to the outskirts of the city, according to the municipal executive. Particularly when the plan launched some time ago by then justice minister Piet Hein Donner to introduce a pass system for foreigners goes ahead.
To curb the nuisance in the city centre and the residential areas of Maastricht the municipality wants to temporarily relocate seven of the fifteen cannabis cafes via an accelerated legal procedure before the end of this year. The measure will include cafes that are situated too close to the schools or too close to one another. Temporary locations will be designated to these cafes while they wait for a definitive location. The city council will discuss the plan later this month.
Source: http://www.expatica.com/actual/article. ... y_id=38532