Amsterdam closes cannabis shops

[Ban Hammer 13,625]

ALMERE, Netherlands (Reuters) – Almost a fifth of Amsterdam's popular marijuana-selling coffee shops will be closed down because they are too close to schools, the city council said Friday.

Of the 228 coffee shops in the Dutch capital, 43 must close by the end of 2011 because they are within 250 meters of a school, the council said.

The Dutch coffee shop policy has come under fresh criticism after the Dutch cities of Bergen op Zoom and Roosendaal, located near the Belgian border, said they will close all their shops within two years to combat drug tourism and crime.

Amsterdam, home to a quarter of the nation's cannabis coffee shops that are a big draw for tourists, joined with 32 other Dutch mayors or city council representatives Friday to back a continuation of the Dutch "soft drugs" policy of toleration.

But the mayors also called for better rules on the sale and trade of cannabis. They stressed that while a ban on marijuana use was not a solution to the problem, the use of the drug should be discouraged.

The policy on soft drugs in the Netherlands, one of the most liberal in Europe, allows for the sale of marijuana at coffee shops, which the Dutch have allowed to operate for decades, and possession of less than 5 grams (0.18 oz).

But the cultivation or supply of the drug to the coffee shops, the so-called "back door" of the business, is banned.

Annemarie Jorritsma, Almere Mayor, said mayors agreed to push for a system of "heavily regulated toleration."

"Make it transparent who is dealing, who is delivering it to the coffee shops and take care that there are no criminals entering there, which they are at the moment," she said.

Gerd Leers, Mayor of Maastricht which earlier angered Belgian authorities by proposing to move its city center coffee shops to the edge of the city, said 60 percent of the people who visit the city's coffee shops each year are French or Belgian.

He added that the problem is not the fact the Netherlands has coffee shops, the problem is that other countries don't.

Arjam Roskam, a spokesman for the Cannabis Retailers Association which represents 100 members, said the proposals from the mayors were a step in the right direction.

The government will finalize next year an evaluation of its soft and hard drugs policy and a Justice Ministry spokesman said the proposals from the mayors may be taken into consideration.

link

[alienlovechild 75]

drug tourism

Come for the high, stay for the canal tours.

Arjam Roskam, a spokesman for the Cannabis Retailers Association which represents 100 members, said the proposals from the mayors were a step in the right direction.

Imagine that convention. Everyone gets high by rolling up the agenda and smoking weed.

[ScratchIt 12]

He added that the problem is not the fact the Netherlands has coffee shops, the problem is that other countries don't.

Talk about euphemisms! I remember when they called them Hash Houses.

[almaty 19]

terrible news..i am taking it off my list..wait a minute, still have the red light district..back on

[rocks 494]

this has been planned for years now. they took their time. i thought the rule already was that you weren't allowed to buy from coffeeshops unless you were a dutch citizen, i don't know if anywhere enforces that rule though.

the dutch are also tired of "sex tourists" who visit amsterdam purely for the red light district.

The Dutch city of Amsterdam is to close one-third of the brothels in its famous red light district.

The city has reached a 25m euro (£18m) deal to buy 18 buildings and turn them into shops or housing.

The mayor of Amsterdam, Job Cohen, said that although prostitution was legal in the Netherlands, there was too much of the sex trade in the city centre.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7005768.stm

the sad thing is the netherlands has so much more to offer than sex and cannabis. they have van gogh, escher, rembrandt but to name a few. there is history and culture and lots of good food. they are insulted that all people want to go there for is drugs and sex, which is perfectly legitimate.

[ScratchIt 12]

this has been planned for years now. they took their time. i thought the rule already was that you weren't allowed to buy from coffeeshops unless you were a dutch citizen, i don't know if anywhere enforces that rule though.

the dutch are also tired of "sex tourists" who visit amsterdam purely for the red light district.

The Dutch city of Amsterdam is to close one-third of the brothels in its famous red light district.

The city has reached a 25m euro (£18m) deal to buy 18 buildings and turn them into shops or housing.

The mayor of Amsterdam, Job Cohen, said that although prostitution was legal in the Netherlands, there was too much of the sex trade in the city centre.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7005768.stm

the sad thing is the netherlands has so much more to offer than sex and cannabis. they have van gogh, escher, rembrandt but to name a few. there is history and culture and lots of good food. they are insulted that all people want to go there for is drugs and sex, which is perfectly legitimate.

They sure didn't act insulted as they took my money on a recent trip there. And you are correct in saying that the sex and drug trade is perfectly legitimate.

[alienlovechild 75]

i thought the rule already was that you weren't allowed to buy from coffeeshops unless you were a dutch citizen, i don't know if anywhere enforces that rule though.

Things may changed but nobody asked me for some ID and I don't speak Dutch.

[Ban Hammer 13,625]

this has been planned for years now. they took their time. i thought the rule already was that you weren't allowed to buy from coffeeshops unless you were a dutch citizen, i don't know if anywhere enforces that rule though.

the dutch are also tired of "sex tourists" who visit amsterdam purely for the red light district.

The Dutch city of Amsterdam is to close one-third of the brothels in its famous red light district.

The city has reached a 25m euro (£18m) deal to buy 18 buildings and turn them into shops or housing.

The mayor of Amsterdam, Job Cohen, said that although prostitution was legal in the Netherlands, there was too much of the sex trade in the city centre.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7005768.stm

the sad thing is the netherlands has so much more to offer than sex and cannabis. they have van gogh, escher, rembrandt but to name a few. there is history and culture and lots of good food. they are insulted that all people want to go there for is drugs and sex, which is perfectly legitimate.

They sure didn't act insulted as they took my money on a recent trip there. And you are correct in saying that the sex and drug trade is perfectly legitimate.

so you went there, got high, and got laid?

[rocks 494]

this has been planned for years now. they took their time. i thought the rule already was that you weren't allowed to buy from coffeeshops unless you were a dutch citizen, i don't know if anywhere enforces that rule though.

the dutch are also tired of "sex tourists" who visit amsterdam purely for the red light district.

The Dutch city of Amsterdam is to close one-third of the brothels in its famous red light district.

The city has reached a 25m euro (£18m) deal to buy 18 buildings and turn them into shops or housing.

The mayor of Amsterdam, Job Cohen, said that although prostitution was legal in the Netherlands, there was too much of the sex trade in the city centre.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7005768.stm

the sad thing is the netherlands has so much more to offer than sex and cannabis. they have van gogh, escher, rembrandt but to name a few. there is history and culture and lots of good food. they are insulted that all people want to go there for is drugs and sex, which is perfectly legitimate.

They sure didn't act insulted as they took my money on a recent trip there. And you are correct in saying that the sex and drug trade is perfectly legitimate.

yes it is legitimate. it is there for the dutch citizens. however, in amsterdam there are so many tourists, many of which are badly behaved and only come to visit the country for sex and drugs. the netherlands is not keen on that.

[SpiritAlight 1]

this has been planned for years now. they took their time. i thought the rule already was that you weren't allowed to buy from coffeeshops unless you were a dutch citizen, i don't know if anywhere enforces that rule though.

the dutch are also tired of "sex tourists" who visit amsterdam purely for the red light district.

The Dutch city of Amsterdam is to close one-third of the brothels in its famous red light district.

The city has reached a 25m euro (£18m) deal to buy 18 buildings and turn them into shops or housing.

The mayor of Amsterdam, Job Cohen, said that although prostitution was legal in the Netherlands, there was too much of the sex trade in the city centre.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7005768.stm

the sad thing is the netherlands has so much more to offer than sex and cannabis. they have van gogh, escher, rembrandt but to name a few. there is history and culture and lots of good food. they are insulted that all people want to go there for is drugs and sex, which is perfectly legitimate.

They sure didn't act insulted as they took my money on a recent trip there. And you are correct in saying that the sex and drug trade is perfectly legitimate.

so you went there, got high, and got laid?

Inquiring minds do truly want to know.

As far as the news story:

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

[ScratchIt 12]

this has been planned for years now. they took their time. i thought the rule already was that you weren't allowed to buy from coffeeshops unless you were a dutch citizen, i don't know if anywhere enforces that rule though.

the dutch are also tired of "sex tourists" who visit amsterdam purely for the red light district.

The Dutch city of Amsterdam is to close one-third of the brothels in its famous red light district.

The city has reached a 25m euro (£18m) deal to buy 18 buildings and turn them into shops or housing.

The mayor of Amsterdam, Job Cohen, said that although prostitution was legal in the Netherlands, there was too much of the sex trade in the city centre.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7005768.stm

the sad thing is the netherlands has so much more to offer than sex and cannabis. they have van gogh, escher, rembrandt but to name a few. there is history and culture and lots of good food. they are insulted that all people want to go there for is drugs and sex, which is perfectly legitimate.

They sure didn't act insulted as they took my money on a recent trip there. And you are correct in saying that the sex and drug trade is perfectly legitimate.

so you went there, got high, and got laid?

I'm taking the 5th!

[Ban Hammer 13,625]

this has been planned for years now. they took their time. i thought the rule already was that you weren't allowed to buy from coffeeshops unless you were a dutch citizen, i don't know if anywhere enforces that rule though.

the dutch are also tired of "sex tourists" who visit amsterdam purely for the red light district.

The Dutch city of Amsterdam is to close one-third of the brothels in its famous red light district.

The city has reached a 25m euro (£18m) deal to buy 18 buildings and turn them into shops or housing.

The mayor of Amsterdam, Job Cohen, said that although prostitution was legal in the Netherlands, there was too much of the sex trade in the city centre.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7005768.stm

the sad thing is the netherlands has so much more to offer than sex and cannabis. they have van gogh, escher, rembrandt but to name a few. there is history and culture and lots of good food. they are insulted that all people want to go there for is drugs and sex, which is perfectly legitimate.

They sure didn't act insulted as they took my money on a recent trip there. And you are correct in saying that the sex and drug trade is perfectly legitimate.

so you went there, got high, and got laid?

I'm taking the 5th!

kinda late for that - you outed yourself.

[Chica Yeyé 41]

#######?!?! Teachers need luv and pot, too

[rocks 494]

#######?!?! Teachers need luv and pot, too

then they need to find somewhere else to go other than amsterdam.

[Chica Yeyé 41]

#######?!?! Teachers need luv and pot, too

then they need to find somewhere else to go other than amsterdam.

why do you hate the pothead teachers of the Nederlands????