Dutch cannabis cafes to become private members' clubs

[Puffin13]

Dutch cannabis cafes to become private members' clubs
By Martine Pauwels, Agence France-Presse
May 12, 2009

MAASTRICHT - About 30 cannabis-vending coffee shops in the south of the Netherlands announced Tuesday they would become private members' clubs at the start of next year to keep out foreign drug tourists.

"We will transform the coffee shops from open establishments, accessible by all, to closed establishments of which clients need to be members," Maastricht's Mayor Gerd Leers told a press conference in the border town.

In the latest move away from the traditionally liberal Dutch approach to such issues as soft drugs and prostitution, coffee shops in the province of Limburg said they would start issuing membership cards.

The application procedure would take several days, in effect preventing short-term tourists from buying marijuana.

The move is backed by the national government, and is seen as a pilot project for possible expansion to other areas.

Some four million foreigners travel to Limburg every year to buy cannabis, according to a municipal official.

The measure, to be applied uniformly by all coffee shops in the province which borders Belgium and Germany, would seek to "discourage the majority of drug tourists," said Leers.

"We have been fighting for years against the nuisance brought here by the Belgians, the French and the Germans," he added.

These included damage to city property, heavy road traffic, a rising trade in hard drugs and other criminal activities.

From January 1 next year, the province will limit the sale of cannabis in its coffee shops to three grammes per person per day.

Each buyer would have to present a membership card that would work on the basis of a fingerprint, iris or some similar identification system. Purchases will only be possible by bank card or credit transfer.

Dutch law allows the consumption and possession of up to five grammes of cannabis per individual, but prohibits the cultivation and mass retail of the soft drug.

Some 700 so-called coffee shops nationwide have special licences to sell marijuana but are allowed to keep no more than 500 grammes on site.

Home Affairs Minister Guusje ter Horst told Tuesday's launch that the new project was the first step in a "harder approach to illegality" by Dutch law enforcement.

Also, the Dutch Council of State, which advises the government on legislation, had asked the European Court of Justice to weigh the legality of limiting access to Dutch coffee shops to Dutch citizens.

An answer is expected in about 18 months.

Several Dutch municipalities have recently announced plans to close all or part of the coffee shops within their borders, partly to discourage crime and drug tourism.

But Leers said closing coffee shops was not a viable alternative, as this risked "chasing clients into illegality".

Source

[Twichaldinho]

But Leers said closing coffee shops was not a viable alternative, as this risked "chasing clients into illegality".

Source

Duh....Thats gonna happen now regardless

[doobydave]

Where's the next closest town.....?

[USbongLord]

keep going..and hollands gonna miss us

[Ghost]

dont sound to good to me.

[sh@dy]

sometimes I feel like the politicians WANT drugs to be illegal for the REASON that there are criminals who make money and pay the POLITICIANS.
this way they will make the criminal gangs here around the border where people used to buy quality buds from the shops very rich.......fuck them!

[the happy hacker]

yeah shadey you said it ....Fuck em,every year it's something else but the bottom line is the dutch ain't ever gonna shut down the coffeeshops, coz it ain't good business, lets get real here without coffeeshops Holland is just another third rate european country, who the fuck would go to such a little damp country if wasn't for the weed

[xxxcronicxxx]

yeah shadey you said it ....Fuck em,every year it's something else but the bottom line is the dutch ain't ever gonna shut down the coffeeshops, coz it ain't good business, lets get real here without coffeeshops Holland is just another third rate european country, who the fuck would go to such a little damp country if wasn't for the weed

Yeah man, i agree with you guys that every year its being mash down, its already nothing like it use to be, mercy mercy me.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZ97jPY9eJs

[Kingdoc]

sometimes I feel like the politicians WANT drugs to be illegal for the REASON that there are criminals who make money and pay the POLITICIANS.
this way they will make the criminal gangs here around the border where people used to buy quality buds from the shops very rich.......fuck them!

Prohibition brings more problems than solutions.

[Fat Freddie]

Prohibition brings more problems than solutions.

Well said.

Sadly politicians want votes not solutions.
Though judging by thier expenses claims, the UK politicians just want to get their snouts in the trough.

The only policy that makes sense is Legal Supply and Legal users in all European countries otherwise it is always going to put more pressure on the few ( well one really) that have half way sensible polices.


FF

[Uncle Ron]

The only policy that makes ANY sense is to put this, and any social issues, to a public vote. Let the people decide and not a small group of biased individuals that claim to represent their constituents best interests. I realize that this ideology has flaws, but at least the people get to decide.
Peace

[SoulRider]

Let the government deal with making laws, not set our moral standards. Questions of morals, like 'drug-taking' and prostitution to abortion and anything else, should be the choice of an individual human being, and not defined by law. What happened to free will?

[liquidSwords]

Let the government deal with making laws, not set our moral standards. Questions of morals, like 'drug-taking' and prostitution to abortion and anything else, should be the choice of an individual human being, and not defined by law. What happened to free will?

Exactly mate, couldnt have worded that better myself ...

When i was born i didnt sign to "no smoking cannabis". I, like many others, just cant get my head around why cannabis is an illegal substance, and im sure we could all bleet on about it for hours!!... Nicely put tho SR

[doobydave]

Absolutely SR.

I'm all for democracy, but chances are that the majority may be against many activities, even though it's NONE OF THEIR $%^&ING BUSINESS.

[Sir Niall of Essex-sire]

Let the government deal with making laws, not set our moral standards. Questions of morals, like 'drug-taking' and prostitution to abortion and anything else, should be the choice of an individual human being, and not defined by law. What happened to free will?

We still have free will, its not like many of us stick to the laws in England anyways. You rase an interesting point on the parental principle of forming laws, i think its a 50/50 with the parental priniciple. in some cases it proves to be a good thing, in others not so good. Perhaps a sensible government will be able to sort it out one day....