Drug War Issues
Politics & Advocacy
A plan to make Dutch border town cannabis cafes members only in a bid to thwart "drug tourism" is on indefinite hold, a Dutch official said Monday. The plan, which was supposed to go into effect January 1, needs further study, the official said.
downstairs of a coffee shop, Maastricht (courtesy Wikimedia)
Maastricht is one of eight municipalities in southern Limburg province that announced jointly last May they would make the 30 coffee shops in their jurisdictions members only. The plan would also reduce the daily limit on marijuana purchases from five grams to three and require that payment be made with a Dutch debit card.
The measures are a bid to reduce the estimated four million visitors to Limburg each year who come from more repressive neighboring countries -- France, Germany, and Belgium -- to buy marijuana. Limburgers have complained that the drug tourists cause problems ranging from traffic congestion to public urination to hard drug dealing.
The Dutch government decriminalized the possession of up to five grams of marijuana in 1976 and allows for retail sales through licensed coffee shops. There are about 700 coffee shops throughout the country.
Back in Limburg, Hermans said that a report on the feasibility of the members-only plan was due by mid-month. "We will then decide how to proceed," he said.
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Comments
Really?
Traffic congestion? Most cites, in this country, would welcome it back! The affects from the gas price elevation, and resulting economic problems, have made the roads, in our country, much less congested!
And, urinating in public used to be a way of life in many European cities, was it not? (hole in the sidewalk story, heard from previous US people, who were visitors of Europe) And why is drug dealing a problem? It's still illegal isn't it? Why complain about it. Oh, maybe the cops are not doing their job?
And lastly, who made these claims, anyway? What is their source of information?
Same old stuff! Drug warriors making up things to influence politics? Maybe. The lies need to be separated from the truth about these situations?
Link use to serving utensil reform
1. Write law to require purchaser to possess (and exhibit) or buy a vaporizer or long-stemmed single-toke utensil before acquiring any cannabis.
2. Sell only cannabis which has been pre-sifted to tokeworthy particle-size (Mesh-#16 screening in sifter, #40 in utensil). Customers who are used to looking at the intact bud before buying can get used to sniffing it instead!
3. 3 grams is not so bad-- 120 single tokes! The pro-tobackgo marketing myth of hot-burning overdose "joint" and "spliff" is behind the inflated demand for larger quantities.
serving utensil reform!
That dude above me is right.
we need serving utensil reform
and we need to disseminate the benefits of bubble jelly.
no more hot-burning overdose!
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