Europe: Leading Dutch Bank Shuns Cannabis Coffee Shop Accounts
In yet another sign of the cross-currents buffeting the Netherlands' cannabis industry, a leading Dutch bank announced it was closing the accounts of people who owned coffee shops. The move comes as Dutch social conservatives, including members of the governing coalition, are making increasingly loud noises about criminality in the supply of cannabis to the coffee shops.
[inline:postbanklogo.jpg align=left caption="Postbank logo"]Postbank announced the move last Friday. Part of the Dutch financial services giant ING Group, the Postbank has some 7.5 million private account holders and provides current and savings accounts, loans, mortgages, insurance, investments and pensions, making it one of the largest providers of financial services in the country. Postbank has no branches, but some services are available at post offices, and otherwise operates completely through land mail and telephone and electronic banking.
A bank spokesman said that facilitating the marijuana and hashish trade can no longer be considered responsible. In addition to closing existing accounts, the bank will now screen new customers to ensure they are not involved in the cannabis business.
Under Dutch practice for the past three decades, marijuana sales and consumption remains technically illegal, but tolerated in practice through the licensed coffee shop system. But the Dutch system does not provide for a legal source of supply to the coffee shops, thus providing an opening for organized crime groups to get involved.
The move by Postbank sparked an angry response from the coffee shop trade association, the Cannabis Retailers Union. The group condemned the bank for what it called a hypocritical and moralistic crusade. The retailers noted that the bank is not canceling loans or mortgages made to people in the trade because that could impact its bottom line.
Comments
So Much Gravel and Slurry
... honestly. the repliesto my posting are lame- most of the stats are made up on the spot, stale stas at that- and assumptions- assumptions everywhere- basis of the Drug war . history of the drug war, my stake in the drug war.. really-- are all the so called thoughtful people in the dopers side absent for the holidays. or is this them? No wonder your movement are just so many beached jellyfish..and nothing has happened except crybaby rhetoric for 70 years- thats four generations.. get used to the fact that billions of hard working sane sober people worldwide are not in the least bit interested in legalizing dope-- especially after you display such brilliant examples of cranky, deluded, being stoned and at home here. And this was supposed to be a "progressive
legalization site.. its just more stoner slackers with internet access parading YouTube footnotes as gospel truths . On the 10 scale of validity - thats a 1.5 - pathetic in a hungry world to be absorbed with dope.
Be glad you stoners can take turns complaining to each other and weep over how hard done you have been and then troll for bad science on TV- to bolster yourselves up.. The fact remains you did not prevail, and at the rate you are going will not prevail.. All the while you age and get even more deeply welded into your woe and fears..nobody cares if you are a stoner, and they haven't for 70 years- drugs function as a handy house arrest to keep goofs off the streets and couch locked away from the world- we are looking for the dealers and the manufacturers and the smugglers,,and as you can see we are getting them, and locking them up for decades and going out for more.
if thats you... look out its just a matter of time before you get caught and spanked
as for the stoner minority - just stay home and get stoned like you always do..keep out of everybody elses way..
Drugs are for sick people- do the math
Then you Win
Rave on, the stoners are riding on iceberg floating south,, so have fun with all your fantasy statistics you know are wrong or you wouldn't keep hammering them at the screen, the suffering and indignity that is caused is caused by lawbreakers and they bring it upon themselves. They blame others for their own chemically induced misfortunes..
It wouldn't be so bad if you just poisoned yourselves, but stoners tend to finance their hobby by vending more chemicals to others..we know of way too many dealers who only sell to minors because no minor could possibly be a cop--- and they share this in public and wonder why the rest of us have no problem calling Crimebusters with all the info thy would ever need to know to come on in and take those druggie zombies down..This is not ratting on our fellow citizens- this is pointing out garbage culture so the trucks can pick it up and take it away
Prohibition seems to be working just fine, and we are busting you with your own tax money you doped up retards..Better the dope fiends are safe in jail where we can keep an eye on them than have them run rabid in society. And this view is upheld right around the world- on all the continents- in every socio-political system- at every economic level-- So how can you possibly say that the stoners are winning, or in the majority or are anything but deluded whiners?? Crybabies seething under the surface damaged nervous systems glued together with THC?? Or is it that the world is wrong and you few perma stoners are right? Our guess is that a better life can be had without party drugs- But how would you ever know if you don't come down ?
Drugs are for sick people-- same way as sick people are for drugs Prohibition is the better choice over free for all stonerism.. by miles
Website look over, under, all over the place
Is that you? the 40 year old self employed carpenter with a rubber knife in his head? Stoner and drug liberation candidate that nobody votes for ? fighting the evil Illuminati that only you can see ?/
whew I smell tree seeds
mental health week is in April, its not much of a wait
antagonistic dude
I sense there is one among us who is getting off on all this. I wouldn't be surprised if he is a smoker too but just likes causing arguments. I used to do this myself when I was about ten years old when I got an old CB radio. I actually got a beating when some guy I was insulting ranged me and saw the antenna.
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