Global Ganja Report

Cannabis coffeeshops in the Dutch city of Maastricht have agreed to bar French, Italian and Spanish tourists, reserving access to Dutch, German and Belgian nationals—ostensibly to cut back on noise, traffic and other disturbances associated with cannabis tourism. The idea seems to be that tourists from neighboring countries are better behaved and do not bring their cars. "The authorities have signalled that the coffee shops will be shut if the problems do not ease," said Marc Josemans, president of the Maastricht Association of Coffee Shops.

The Dutch government's plan to stop tourists from purchasing cannabis was apparently set back June 29 by a decision by the country's top legal advisory body. The Council of State, ruling on a 2006 Maastricht ordinance barring foreigners from "coffee shops," said the city had overstepped its authority, because cannabis sale is already theoretically illegal in the Netherlands by national law—even if under the law goes virtually unenforced under the country's tolerance policy.

The Amsterdam city council, backed by the tourist board and local campaigners, is opposing a new law proposed by the Dutch government that would ban foreigners from frequenting the city's cannabis-serving coffee shops by 2012. "If tourists are denied access to coffee shops, illegal sales and drug dealing on the streets of Amsterdam will increase," warned Mayor Eberhard van der Laan. "Amsterdam does not want to facilitate soft drug use by tourists, but to help those who wish to use drugs to do so as responsibly as possible."

The Dutch government on May 27 said it will start barring tourists from buying cannabis at coffee shops by the end of the year. Backed by the far-right party of anti-immigrant politician Geert Wilders, the coalition government that came into power last year announced plans to restrict "drug tourism" as part of a nationwide "anti-crime" program. Under the new rules, only Dutch residents will be able to sign up as members of cannabis shops. "In order to tackle the nuisance and criminality associated with coffee shops and drug trafficking, the open-door policy of coffee shops will end," the Dutch health and justice ministers wrote in a letter to the country's parliament. (Reuters, May 27)

Mainstream media had a field day with the publication in the British Medical Journal of a 10-year study by Dutch researchers finding that people who use cannabis in their youth dramatically increase their risk of psychotic symptoms, and that continued use can raise the risk of developing a psychotic disorder in later life. Researchers led by Jim van Os from Maastricht University studied a random sample of 1,923 adolescents and young adults aged 14 to 24 years.

The new Dutch government, which took office last month, has unveiled a policy to limit the sale of cannabis to Netherlands residents. "No tourist attractions. We don't like that," the new security minister, Ivo Opstelten, told public broadcaster NOS. "The heart of the problem is crime and disturbances surrounding the sale. We have to go back to what it was meant for: local use for those who would like it."

Some 30,000 Dutch households have started receiving cannabis-scented scratchcards in an effort to uncover illegal plantations. Authorities in Rotterdam and The Hague say they are distributing the cards to help citizens recognize what cannabis plants smell like. The cards also include a telephone number to report suspected cannabis growing. (BBC News, Nov. 11)

A Dutch court fined the owner of the Netherlands' biggest cannabis-selling coffee shop 10 million euros ($13.3 million) on March 25 for keeping more than the maximum tolerated 500 grams (18 oz.) on the premises. Owner Meddie Willemsen, tried along with 15 staff of the Checkpoint coffee shop in Terneuzen, also received a 16-week prison term, although he was given credit for having served this time  after his arrest and released.