The Dutch contemplating closing coffee shops to tourists
Cannabis Cup: A thing of the past?
The ministers of justice, home affairs and health wrote a recommendation that by reducing the number of coffee shops and by keeping foreigners out, it would be easier to reduce crime and the other nuisances the coffee shop tourists are now causing.
The basis of the plan is to make the purchase of cannabis legal only to the locals, determined by providing a Dutch bank card as proof of eligibility to purchase the new reduced limit of three grams instead of five grams. This would disqualify foreigners from purchasing cannabis, and will in essence shut down the drug tourism trade in the Netherlands.
This is not a done deal, and is under debate, though the commission which was formed earlier this year is expected to release its written recommendations before the end of 2009. Dutch border towns like Roosendaal and Bergen-op-Zoom, have found the 25,000 drug tourists that come to their towns each week from France, Belgium and Germany to be a nuisance and announced in July that they are closing all of the coffee shops in those two cities. There has also been pressure from the neighboring governments to stop selling to tourists.
While it is still unclear what the final outcome of the report will be, and how it will affect the future of the Netherlands and cannabis lovers who have enjoyed the Dutch hospitality and Dutch freedom for three decades. One thing is certain, changes are coming to the Netherlands, and not because they are suddenly against cannabis, but because they are against people acting like idiots when they finally get their hands on the great taboo, cannabis.
This is clear, because they are not interested in stopping the Dutch and local residents from buying cannabis, because the Dutch, after all these years, know how to handle freedom. They expect it, they take it in stride, and in general, they enjoy it without abusing it or making a public spectacle of themselves, and they remain productive.
Once again all of the rest of us could learn a lesson from the Dutch. They could teach us all a thing or two on how to handle real freedom like civilized, responsible, 21st century adults.
