Dutch weed only for the Dutch
Dutch weed only for the Dutch
The free availability of hash and marijuana attracts a lot of tourists to the Netherlands, but the new Dutch government has plans to prevent them from buying weed. The politicians claim dope-smoking tourists are responsible for higher levels of crime and other social aggravations.
The government wants 'coffee shops' - where cannabis is sold - to become private clubs, only accessible to adults residing in the Netherlands. The coffee shop owners suspect that a ban on tourists may be a violation of European law.
For now, foreign tourists are free to buy weed in Amsterdam. Or as one grinning tourist put it: "It's nice to be here because you are free to do what you want, without restriction. That's something you don't have in other places."
(article contains a video)