Amsterdam Coffeeshop Directory Forums

Trichome_Dense wrote:Another year, another drama

Last year they were saying to close half the coffeeshops in 2010 - blargh

this year its "No cannabis for tourists next year"... BLARGH

Next year... more "meh" moments, just - don't - be - surprised, is all

SGawain235 wrote:

Marco wrote:
Important things are happening in NL that are changing it for the worse. But the word and meaning of anti-social behavior is well established and used by people and politicians on the left and right.

I used the word anti-social behavior because it is a Dutch phrase, used by everyone from coffeeshop owners, local resident up to politicians.


The reason I post about politics of the Netherlands on ACD is I think people find it interesting, especially those who come here often. The political situation obviously closely related to what will happen in the CS scene, but overall its a lot more important in terms of what type of society will exist here in 5, 10 or 15 years (when some of us will still be living here). And its only my opinion, by the way. But I am constantly interacting with the Dutch and ask them all time about what is happening and will happen.

How about you step out of the echo-chamber (saw you deleted that post, btw) and move beyond semantics to try and understand why the border town issue is fucking up the CS scene for the rest of us. Peace

Well, usually I try not to put too fine a point on this because I don't have a vast amount of experience in the matter(and, like everything I post here, I could be very wrong).

The political, like the cultural scene, seems to be making a very, VERY hard shift to the conservative side.

I don't want to say "fascist" not because it is a loaded word, but there doesn't seem to be a a real military side of it.

It seems that the Netherlands is becoming progressively less and less welcoming to certain groups of people, regardless of financial benefit.

Immigrants(especially "non-white" immigrants such as Muslims) seem to be one of those less welcome groups of people, as are visitors that aren't there for the most benign of reasons(museum and cuisine seem to be good reasons, prostitutes and weed seem to be less ok).

To be honest, it seems that the Dutch want to have a wealthy, Dutch-only society where people visit for the shopping, history, and culture(and then leave).

This has been a trend that has been happening since(at least) 2000 or so and will probibly not go the other way until the society either collapses in on itself due to calcification(remember all those people that the Dutch don't want around? They are also the people that keep societies current) or outside influence(I said that the Dutch weren't fascist, that doesn't mean that they can't ever be).

In regards to the border towns and CS, I think it is a lot more simple. The border towns want to be left alone and not be bothered with CS. They don't like people who go to their town just for the day to pick up weed and then go home to sell it. They don't get that significant of an economic benefit from the shops or the day visitors that frequent them(also remembering that using cannabis is not really a "Dutch thing").

The thing I can't figure is why the people in the border towns care what people in Amsterdam are doing? Most people who are going into Amsterdam go straight from the airport or drive straight through and usually only see the border towns from their rear-view mirrors.

But then, it could be part of the huge turn to conservative views I was talking about.

So, Marco, how wrong am I here?

Trichome_Dense wrote:Another year, another drama

Last year they were saying to close half the coffeeshops in 2010 - blargh

this year its "No cannabis for tourists next year"... BLARGH

Next year... more "meh" moments, just - don't - be - surprised, is all

NedFlanders wrote:http://translate.googleusercontent.com/ ... IeaM2Bsjiw

no good one! i think now its only the question: when does this happen?

NedFlanders wrote:http://translate.googleusercontent.com/ ... IeaM2Bsjiw

no good one! i think now its only the question: when does this happen?

donpacino wrote:

NedFlanders wrote:http://translate.googleusercontent.com/ ... IeaM2Bsjiw

no good one! i think now its only the question: when does this happen?

Can someone translate this and post it on here please, my browser wont do it for some reason. Thanks.

schererbuzz wrote:

donpacino wrote:

NedFlanders wrote:http://translate.googleusercontent.com/ ... IeaM2Bsjiw

no good one! i think now its only the question: when does this happen?

Can someone translate this and post it on here please, my browser wont do it for some reason. Thanks.

Yet pass system in coffeeshops

The coffee shops in the city should finally going to introduce a pass system, Het Parool reported Wednesday.

The SP, PvdA, D66 and Green had in the House a motion tabled "for example, Paris' the freedom for one's own approach to coffee shops. De motie werd dinsdag verworpen. The motion was rejected Tuesday.

All coffee shops should be closed clubs. Customers can only display of a club card in the coffee shop. Moreover, they must be of age and resident of the Netherlands, so no tourist.

Mayor Eberhard van der Laan has recently turned against the plan. He thinks that the introduction of a pass system in Amsterdam and illegal street trading by selling soft drugs will lead.

Also said the Education Minister Marja van Bijsterveldt that the city must comply with the obligation to coffee shops at least 350 meters away from schools to keep. That is, she desperately needed the "right Amsterdam with schools where so much is happening." It means that the 223 coffee shops in town a few dozen to close.

donpacino wrote:This just sounds like more of same old stuff being said, although unless i have read wrong the other political partys are against and seem to be gearing up for a fight. Once again, no date is set for this and it still seems practically a impossible idea to enforce in a city like amsterdam.

Dave J wrote:So people should go by what, late june just in case everything does get implimented. Thankfully I've my trip sorted for april and confident I'll be fine then for visiting the coffeeshops.