Amsterdam Coffeeshop Directory Forums

Come on people, truly this is a ridiculous law that makes so little sense. It sickens me that these people mask their true intentions by insisting they are taking care of us, protecting our health. So we all have to give up certain freedoms, certain liberties for the greater good- please don't be fooled by this. Wrapping us in cotton wool and protecting our health is not their agenda and please don't be so naive as to think this isn't the first step towards further bans and less choice for all.

Coffeeshops should be exempt because they are smoking bars - people don't go there for the fucking juice. Are we now to believe that staff members are sitting at the bar inhaling marijuana smoke all day are thinking "hey, I feel so much healthier already! My lungs just feel so clear now that i'm not inhaling tobacco fumes, thank God for the health minister". No, i'm afraid not - marijuana does have some harmful effects - its carcinogenic and surprise, surprise, just ain't all that good for the ol' lungs. I choose to smoke it anyway for it's many positive effects but what about that guy who needs a job but DOESN'T smoke anything. This is the hypothetical guy that the law has been made for, this guy who doesn't smoke but needs a job. SO - he gets a job, in a coffeeshop - what so his health will be in now way effected thanks to the tobacco ban?

HA HA HA! Come one, if they cared, if they really cared at all then this backwards step, this absurd law wouldn't be coming into fruition. It isn't about health- its simply be because right now tobacco is on their agenda.

for instance they banned smoking in England. Which by the way led to many clubs and pubs closing down (don't think for a second this won't happen to some coffeeshops if the ban is enforced with any vigour) Now that the ban has been in place a while and people have complied- there is now a massive, blanket advertisement campaign attacking the "over use of alcohol". Not alcoholism, just at the very least one advert per break using scare tactics to discourage drinking.

See how it works? One by one they pick away at these open sores, slowly but surely stripping us of our rights. Unfortunately this may be the way the Dutch are going. God forbid they may one day become like their neighbours and the Americans who all have drug policies so wrong and have never managed to come close to winning their respective wars on drugs which use so many of their resources, man power and money.

I am not being melodramatic here. I truly believe this is a great, great shame for us all. It is a sign of things to come, it is a huge change. Unbelievable that you can smoke a pure weed joint, but its illegal to put tobacco in it- how long will that last? How long before cannabis is on the agenda?

The English Government banned smoking, then made stricter cannabis laws (so punishments are more severe and more man power and money is used to combat the weed culture) NOW they are taking on the booze - wanting to make it more expensive and scare people into thinking their glass of wine after work will kill them. This ban in the Netherlands is the first step for the Dutch Government to becoming like this and I, for one, think it is something to fear, regret and be greatly saddened by.

I can only hope that something positive happens like - the law is not enforced in the coffeeshops or even lifted - but I have a bad feeling about it.

If you agree with me please post on here!

I will stop now as i'm repeating myself on various threads and i'm sure you all get my point now.

It is one of those days! I wanted to rant, I am a writer after all.

You may waste your life away but at least you've got your health.

totally agree , my thoughts ive already expressed in recent posts on the subject , bit by bit they chip away at the culture with their extinction policy, almost trying to annoy people out of buisness, notice the closed terrace at 12 o clock rule , why ? maybe because alot of stoners are gonna be taking advantage of these spots after the ban.

i could go on for days but as a visitor( long time albeit ,22 years now) i have no right or say in the matter , so am just gonna play it by ear and hope for the best.

I agree. I'm not a tobacco smoker but I'm disgusted with the ban on smoking in UK pubs. Pubs here are closing at a rate of four per day and it seems particularly bad in rural areas. People now buy cheap booze in supermarkets to drink at home. Alongside post office closures, this is ripping the social heart out of rural communities.

The only good thing about the ban in coffeeshops is the irony of inspectors checking to see if joints contain any tobacco. This may provide a way out for all bars and coffeeshops – if all of the smoking customers claim to be smoking pure cannabis joints then the onus will be on the authorities to prove that their cigarettes contain tobacco (even if they have "Marlboro" printed on them!). If everyone does this then the system will soon break down.

So long as bars and coffeeshops are only fined for transgression and their licences are not threatened then I suspect many will ignore the rule.

Agreed I am not a tobacco smoker either, I use pipe , bong though the odd joint does have its advantages.

Yeah man, nice post, i agree, i admit.

Unbelievable that you can smoke a pure weed joint, but its illegal to put tobacco in it-

I partucularly like this bit



For the record i do smoke tabs

Ex tobacco smoker here and I'm all for it, we (the cannabis community) are always going on about how tobacco is worse for you.

Boner wrote:Ex tobacco smoker here and I'm all for it, we (the cannabis community) are always going on about how tobacco is worse for you.

TRUE.

The bottom point is that every T-Smoker deep down agrees with this law.
Slovenia put the no-tobacco law in last year. Its all quiet now, nobody is complaining any more.

I smoke my joints with tobacco, but every time i try to put in as least as i can. Its nothing more disguistin as smokin a 50%+ tobacco joint!

Tho i know that pure joints in Amsterdam will stone me to oblivion. So i guess in going for the substitute and/or vaporizer.

Im getting myself Vapezilla !

Yes tobacco is bad for you - obviously I know that - I never smoke cigarettes, I only smoke joints with tobacco. I don't see the point in tobacco on its own - but mixed - delicious I tell you!

What sickens me is that the authorities purport themselves as people who have our best interests at heart and are trying to take care of us. If they gave a shit they wouldn't be proposing a crazy law where you are breaking the law putting tobacco in with your marijuana. I'm afraid despite all of its positive effects and benefits weed is detrimental to your health also- carcinogenic indeed- no matter what anyone says - it is undeniably bad for your health in many ways. Personally I don't give a shit but these health ministers and religious nut governments want to SEEM like they do. This IS just the first step, we all know they are tip toeing around how to cut back on coffeeshops here and there, ban this substance, ban that substance.

Ban mushrooms soon because a tourist with a history of mental health, who was reportedly wasted on booze- leapt to her death. She allegedly, may have consumed some magic musrooms - according to the media we all know and love, and i'm sure - all trust. Yeah? December I think they are up for review and then or sometime very soon they will be banned - simple. That leads to many a head shops closure much to the Government's delight. We shall see how that non-tobacco smoking guy who likes to trip feels when its mushrooms on the chopping block!

Hey, I can't argue with people who are now thinking "i'm glad because I never smoke tobacco and don't like having to inhale it". Okay - fair enough - I can accept why you don't care or are even happy about the ban (although regarding your health when your sucking on joint of weed and inhaling those fumes - that second hand tobacco smoke isn't what is gonna get to you health wise). However, you should see the bigger picture - Now i don't know how it will be enforced and how vigorously things will be checked, but if the Government does enforce it - then we're going to see unpleasant checks going on. Hey nothing more relaxing then a coffeeshop- until some guys turn up to check if anyone is smoking tobacco - buzz killer. This is just speculation of course but a possiblity - that is the only way they could actually check- by sending goons round to each place randomly to enforce the law.

I firmly believe, if the law is enforced properly, that it will affect businesses. Yes, I know there are those who have such great quality of weed that they'll be fine, others will have outside sitting areas or separate rooms. However, there are those that don't and they are going to suffer - end of story. Perhaps some may think 'well if it isn't a very good place, who cares!' Though I don't think most people feel this way- most of the time it is a shame to see any coffeeshop go, especially these days as we know they are trying to cut down on them. After a year we shall see what the damage is- I'm sure some places will go.

Still, I love the Netherlands and I love Amsterdam dearly. I don't wanna seem like a miserable fucker here - but they are eroding our rights, gnawing away at the Amsterdam spirit and slowly, but surely the religious fanatics in power are turning this country more and more into its neighbours who have policies that have been wrong since their introduction and benefit the wrong people. I just worry that this is the first step down a certain road- you see it everywhere. They have an agenda- first they banned dried shrooms, tightened rules on coffeeshops, now ban tobacco, then fresh mushrooms - what next?

Little by little - oh and ignore any bullshit poll you read that states falsehoods like 80% of dutch people are FOR changing cannabis laws etc. These polls are rather pathetic and completely and utterly useless as proof of anything. Who is it they poll? Ask fifty people down a street in the Netherlands if they ahve ever been polled and they will so no. Polls my ass.

Anyway, jesus shut me up for fucks sake -rant rant rant - no one even asked what I thought! Ha ha.

Anyway i'll be about monday smoking some pure weed- or maybe i'll just get to Amnesia early to get a spot outside. Spend the whole day there (shock! horror! mr. health minister) see whats, what.

Ha ha, maybe I should just have my morning joint before coming on here! No, I do mean it all but I do go on... sorry.

This thread was meant for those who are OPPOSED to the ban - come on there must be more people than this!

They are fucking us people!

Themindwanders wrote:Yes tobacco is bad for you - obviously I know that - I never smoke cigarettes, I only smoke joints with tobacco. I don't see the point in tobacco on its own - but mixed - delicious I tell you!

Not as delicious as pure joints.

Well I shall be joining you in the purity come monday...

Themindwanders wrote:Well I shall be joining you in the purity come monday...

Cool, I hope you enjoy it, only real downside is the cost, pure joints cost a fortune especially when I get in one and chain smoke the fuckers.

Boner wrote:Cool, I hope you enjoy it, only real downside is the cost, pure joints cost a fortune especially when I get in one and chain smoke the fuckers.

If you are chain smoking joints, you need to buy stronger weed, Boner. I couldnt chain smoke pure joints. Well...not for very long anyway. It would put me out, bro!