Dutch introduce tourist cannabis ban
Source: Agencies |
May 2, 2012, Wednesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
A POLICY barring foreign tourists from buying marijuana in the Netherlands went into effect in parts of the country yesterday, with attention focused on the southern city of Maastricht, where a cafe was warned over violating the ban and a buyers' protest was planned for later in the day.
Weed is technically illegal in the Netherlands, but it has been sold openly for decades in small amounts in designated cafes known as "coffee shops" under the country's famed tolerance policy.
Under a government policy change, as of May 1, only holders of a "weed pass" are supposed to be allowed to purchase the drug in three southern provinces. Non-residents aren't eligible for the pass, which means tourists are effectively banned.
The policy isn't supposed to go into effect in Amsterdam, until next year - and it may never. The city opposes the idea and the conservative national government collapsed last week, raising questions about whether a new Cabinet will persevere with the policy after elections in September.
Yesterday in Maastricht, the "Easy Going" shop of Marc Josemans, chairman of the coffee shop owners' association continued selling to all comers. Josemans said he expects to see his shop closed and would take his case to the European Court of Justice.
"Discrimination is never the right answer," he said.
Weed is technically illegal in the Netherlands, but it has been sold openly for decades in small amounts in designated cafes known as "coffee shops" under the country's famed tolerance policy.
Under a government policy change, as of May 1, only holders of a "weed pass" are supposed to be allowed to purchase the drug in three southern provinces. Non-residents aren't eligible for the pass, which means tourists are effectively banned.
The policy isn't supposed to go into effect in Amsterdam, until next year - and it may never. The city opposes the idea and the conservative national government collapsed last week, raising questions about whether a new Cabinet will persevere with the policy after elections in September.
Yesterday in Maastricht, the "Easy Going" shop of Marc Josemans, chairman of the coffee shop owners' association continued selling to all comers. Josemans said he expects to see his shop closed and would take his case to the European Court of Justice.
"Discrimination is never the right answer," he said.
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