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BBC Newsbeat Amsterdam plans "cannabis cleanup"

Posted: Thu 29th Jan 2009 04:24 pm
by Sombrero
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newsbeat

Posted: Fri 30th Jan 2009 02:43 am
by hilian2
I find this utterly horrifying.
:shock:
Firstly I am insulted by the the implication that Amsterdam is attracting the wrong sort of customers, as was said in the film, people from the UK are good spenders.
In all my trips to the Dam I have never witnessed antisocial behaviour, simply met like minded people enjoying a marvellous holiday, and behaving respectfully :)
As for the drug/sex scene being run by gangsters, well hasn't it always been? If they were to properly legalise the industry then it would be easier to reduce the criminal element .
Lets face it if they shut down the shops/windows it doesn't mean that the customers/vendors will go away. Prostitution and cannabis consumption are still very prevelent everywhere else in the world despite the legal situation.

If they take away our coffeeshops they will be losing millions of Euros in revenue from missing tourists (hotels, bars cafes, shopping & coffeeshops)

The whole point of a red light area is that you know what to expect there so if you don't want to visit that then don't.

I save up for our trips to the Dam and feel priviledged to have somewhere like this to go. (going again in May) We have always had a great time, I will be devastated if we stop going.
Over the years Amsterdam has proved it can be successful, the rest of the world should be following it's example not sitting by and watching this happen :x

Sorry if I'm having a rant but it makes me so cross, to think of this haven being snatched away.

Posted: Fri 30th Jan 2009 08:31 am
by CHELSEA_SMOKERS_SOCIETY
this is kinda old news now, but thyve chosen to release it on the beeb now and not a couple of months ago because it coincides with the recent reclassification, and today they had cannabis survey results on the news.

weed is a hot topic at the moment for them....

Posted: Fri 30th Jan 2009 03:44 pm
by GlesgaToker
A couple of things I came across on the BBC site.

Authorities believe the unrestricted growth of cannabis coffee shops and legal brothels has encouraged crime like money laundering and people trafficking.

Havn't the numbers been declining the last few years?

Of the 2,494 cannabis users who responded to the Newsbeat/1Xtra News questionnaire, 1,172 said they smoked the stronger skunk varieties against 599 for traditional herbal or grass and just 186 for resin.

465 people said they either smoked a mixture or didn't know what they were smoking.


Can someone tell me the difference between "stronger skunk" and "traditional herbal or grass" ? And why are 465 people taking a survey if they don't even know there smoking cannabis. To the journalist Mr Jim Reed I think you made the following up.

"From the age of 18, I used cannabis as a substitute for cigarettes but became very depressed," said Gary, now 29.

"I firmly believe that cannabis played a huge part in my mental illness and ruined my life."


:roll: Typical B.S. being fed to the public.

Posted: Fri 30th Jan 2009 04:45 pm
by SoulRider
GlesgaToker wrote:A couple of things I came across on the BBC site.

Authorities believe the unrestricted growth of cannabis coffee shops and legal brothels has encouraged crime like money laundering and people trafficking.
Unrestricted growth?? Err, they are very restricted and governed, do they know how hard it is to get a coffeeshop license? No they don't, and they don't care either, they are just trying to propagate a lie.

Posted: Sat 31st Jan 2009 05:49 am
by echc1
nearly as funny as the ask frank dog called Pablo

Posted: Sat 31st Jan 2009 09:02 am
by murphyscafe
what i find even more of a laugh is that NOTHING has been said ANYWHERE on the news about the down grade of xtc!!! man made, HAS killed!!! yet its now ok???

i say, spike all poloticans n see what they think then! would b the only time i switch the parlement channel on!!! lol

Posted: Sat 31st Jan 2009 11:46 am
by sh@dy
murphyscafe wrote:what i find even more of a laugh is that NOTHING has been said ANYWHERE on the news about the down grade of xtc!!! man made, HAS killed!!! yet its now ok???

i say, spike all poloticans n see what they think then! would b the only time i switch the parlement channel on!!! lol
so xtc was down-graded to a class C drug or what? if this is the deal, then I have to say your politicians are dumper than the German ones.

Posted: Sat 31st Jan 2009 01:01 pm
by Boner
I didn't evenknow they downgrady ecstasy, when did it happen?

I saw this: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/drugs/drug ... ass-a-b-c/ but it says that ecstasy is Class A.

Posted: Sat 31st Jan 2009 01:04 pm
by hilian2
yep they are scarily stooopid.
What I can't understand is why they are missing a golden opportunity to make money from this.
If the government (from whichever country) were to licence the weed growers and hash importers (obviously they would pay taxes too) then you not only remove some (you can never remove all) of the criminal element, also there could be random spot checks to check on product quality.
By legitamising the industry the government would gain so much lost revenue, look what they make on tobacco & alcohol.
The extra revenue would help with policing etc.
If people knew that smoking in appropriate places, ie coffeeshops, hotels(which don't mind) home etc is ok but smoking in the street is not be tolerated. Then I really don't think people would mind the compromise.
I know that ultimately, we the consumer would face an increase in price, but every year tobbacco and alcohol prices rise and we keep on buying.

The whole drug classification thing is a total farce anyway. Doctors, scientists, & government advisors all have said that if they had to reclassify existing drugs like Nicotine(tobbacco) and Alcohol, based on the amount of damage it does to people and the number of deaths/accidents which occur, they would both be made class A, but the public would simply not allow it (look at how unsuccessful prohibition was in the USA).
It's about time the governments realised that cannabis users are not a minority group.
I'm sure that if everyone who regularly smoke cannabis were to stand up and be counted they would see that we are the majority.

It's about time common sense prevailed.

Posted: Sat 31st Jan 2009 05:08 pm
by Kingdoc
Theres nothing like some propganda with your joint & coffee in the morning,Really the BBC shouldnt be listened to! we have a joke here in the UK where we call it the "british brainwashing corporation" 8).

Posted: Sat 31st Jan 2009 05:37 pm
by murphyscafe
Boner wrote:I didn't evenknow they downgrady ecstasy, when did it happen?

I saw this: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/drugs/drug ... ass-a-b-c/ but it says that ecstasy is Class A.
website needs updating then!

it moved down to b the same time cannabis went back to a b!

there not going to premote it now r they!!! not after all the deaths its caused!

Posted: Sat 31st Jan 2009 06:08 pm
by CHELSEA_SMOKERS_SOCIETY
murph, ive been looking everywhere for the last 1/2 hour and i cant find anyhting about xtc being downgraded....

there plenty of articles about a possible review, but nothing about it happening.

i even checked 'talk to frank' and there's noithing on there either...

has it really been downgraded?

amazingly... the thames valley police website still says that weed is class C.

fucking idiots, surely that is misleading information?