NO more drugs for foreigners in the south of holland since 1st of may

[Madjag]

Tough Times in The EU

Tough Times in The EU

 

[HempKat]

The new rules banning tourists from cannabis cafes in the south of the country have been welcomed by people living close to the cafes in Maastricht, mayor Onno Hoes told news agency ANP on Tuesday.

'The system is workable,' Hoes said. The ban was introduced in the south of the country at the beginning May and will be expanded nationwide in 2013. The government hopes the new rules will reduce drugs tourism and criminality.

The mayor told reporters he did not know if the positive signs were due to the fact 13 of the city's 14 cannabis cafes have closed their doors in protest at the new policy.

In addition, he admitted 20 street dealers have been arrested since the new law came into effect. This is more than usual, Hoes said.

Hotline

Meanwhile, Labour councillors in Venlo say the ban has led to such a surge in street dealing that they have set up a hotline where locals can report problems. Councillor Hay Janssen said the south of the country is now suffering from a 'tsunami of drug runners'.

'This has serious consequences for the safety and atmosphere in villages and towns,' he said.

Nu.nl also reports that the ban, which also requires locals to register as official cannabis users, has led to an increase in drugs tourism in Nijmegen. The ban is not yet in force in the city. 'Sales have gone up by 20% to 30%,' one coffee shop owner told the website.

www.dutchnews.nl





Just though I'd post that. I especially like the part where the Maastricht mayor has acknowledged that more street dealers have been arrested since the passing of the law...wonder if there is a link? (sarcasm)

What gets me about this story is here you have a politician (mayor Onno Hoes) telling you what the people in his jurisdiction thinks. Kind of reminds me of the time when President Bush was trying to convince people that 2/3rds of the country were okay with Amnesty for Illegals already here in the US even though at the time poll after poll after poll showed that 90% or more were dead set against any sort of amnesty for illegal aliens.

I don't know though maybe the people in his town are wierd? Me personally I'd much rather have a legal system for people to enjoy marijuana in designated areas then have a huge influx of illegal drug dealers working the streets. Still I can't help but feel this is just another example of a politician telling the people he serves what they think rather then the other way around.

 

[stasis]

Of course, I wish things were happening in a different way.. In my favorite EU Country.

But, at least politicians are a BIT more honest... In the YouEssAy, there would be propaganda and lies, in the mainstream media at least. Which is what 99% of 'Merkins depend on for Current Events..

 

[stoned wizard]

Can we have an update on what's going on in Maastricht now? Are the coffeeshops still closed or are they selling to tourists as usual?

Can't find anything online.

 

[Ironeek]

Iv heard, That the coffee shops in Maastricht were still closed in protest as of Monday

I have also heard but cannot confirm that the weitpas has a 3gram daily limit on it !!!

A group of Belgians have started a campaign to introduce a “beer pass” to stop Dutch tourists buying beer in Belgium. The ironic protest comes in response to the introduction pass system to stop ‘drugs tourists’ from buying cannabis in Dutch border provinces.

Source: http://www.rnw.nl/english/bulletin/belgians-call-tourist-beer-ban

 

[Nog Onsigbare]

Well hopefully the drug gangs that will move in to fill the vacuum wont shit in the streets.

 

[gaiusmarius]

actually i hope the drug gangs have a field day!

let them filthy corrupt politicians reap what they fucking sow!

just maybe they will see how stupid they are being very quickly

 

[HempKat]

just maybe they will see how stupid they are being very quickly

Ah an optimist.

 

[Gastro]

I'm hoping the same thing happens. As soon as streetdisturbances become too frequent, and population will start to complain and hopefully demand the shops back. Nobody wants to live in a neighbourhood where people are hanging on streetcorners and flashing knives, guns, or drugs at them or their kids. While the cops stand idly by saying they can't do anything coz hanging round on streetcorners isn't illegal!

 

[gaiusmarius]

i do think Amsterdam will have a busy last year this year with folks going before they can't anymore. but starting when they implement the weed pass in Ams, things will get really weird. i still can hardly believe that they are really seriously gonna do this in january, it seems kind of surreal. need to go again before the shit hits the fan thats for sure.

 

[Harry Gypsna]

i do think Amsterdam will have a busy last year this year with folks going before they can't anymore. but starting when they implement the weed pass in Ams, things will get really weird. i still can hardly believe that they are really seriously gonna do this in january, it seems kind of surreal. need to go again before the shit hits the fan thats for sure.

Apparently it's up to mayors of individual towns/cities to decide if they want the pass or not...

 

[gaiusmarius]

according to the dutch justice minister it's not up to the mayors of the town, it's a national rule apparently.

 

[Gastro]

according to the dutch justice minister it's not up to the mayors of the town, it's a national rule apparently.

It's a regulation that is implemented into the "new" tolerance policy. And the tolerance policy can be interpreted the way a Mayor likes. He can choose whether he is willing to focus attention on it and make it a prosecutable offence.

It is already happening now, where Onno Hoes (mayor of Maastricht) closed the Easy Going for a month. But the Mayor of Eindhoven didn't charge a coffeeshop.

In that sense it is possible that the Mayor of Amsterdam doesn't demand from the coffeeshops they have a members list and a pass system.

 

[stasis]

If Eindhoven does not close any shops, it could set a valuable precedent.

But, I thought I read that the Mayor of Amsterdam was never FOR the ban.. And that it was going to be instituted in Amsterdam., regardless, one year after the border towns were restricted...

 

[gaiusmarius]

getting hard to know whats what. but if Amsterdam mayor can decide, he will not go for the weedpass. he has said as much. i thought he was told that he will not have a choice about following the new anti tolerance regulations?

 

[neuroherb]

Ok I'll bight.

(a) if available by prescription, which able bodied adults should be denied a prescription on request? If your answer is ZERO adults should be denied THEN this product sounds like an over the counter adult product not a prescription.

(b) Do you care? Or can you point to harm from 2 people using cannabis? If you can't point to the harm, WHO CARES if it looks like those two people are being pot smoking hippies?

(c) You get medical effects, good for you. I repeat (a) above "Which able bodied ADULTS" should be DENIED cannabis if they desire it?

(d) Telling people what they should or shouldn't have a problem with is a huge human fault. This post for example is an attempt to have you THINK that you SHOULD not have a problem with adults using cannabis FREE from any GOVERNMENT REGISTRY. Although I will grant you that a GOVERNMENT REGISTRY has NEVER been used for ILL or ALTERNATIVE purposes. We are bless with honest governments world wide


Off to consume cannabis IRRESPECTIVE of ANYONE's view of SHOULD or LEGALITY.

Hey Hydrosun

I think there is enough info in my previous posts or sig to see I support full legalisation for anybody considered of age to drink. MMJ IMHO is often just used as a smokescreen (Pun intended) but I would not deny use of cannabis to anyone I just consider that MMJ is as much a system for state goverment to placate cannabis users as a means to divert support from full legalisation by providing a step they hope will satisfy most and reduce the demands from those that want full legalisation.

However there has to be some common sense in prescribing for example morphine would easily cure a headache but as paracetamol would do the same job without any of the side effects then most responsible doctors would prescribe that first. Cannabis can be used for asthma as a bronchial dialator especially for those whose asthma is like my own where you get full of glut in the lungs as you sleep(The cannabis helps cough the crap out in the morning), However so does Ventolin Salbutamol. Is it then proper prescribing policies to recommend cannabis because the patients claims it is suitable before trying the Ventolin Salbutamol considering cannabis does have additional effects not consistent with benefiting asthma. You only have to watch a documentary on MMJ to see that many of the people with MMJ certification simply see it as a means to smoke legally and are not that concerned regarding clinical need however I would agree this is not so for many such as cancer patients whose introduction to cannabis is via medical clinical need.

 

[Gastro]

getting hard to know whats what. but if Amsterdam mayor can decide, he will not go for the weedpass. he has said as much. i thought he was told that he will not have a choice about following the new anti tolerance regulations?

What they mean by that, is that the will make him an offer he can't refuse. Either Amsterdam is going to be cut when it comes to subsidies or something along those lines. Or his future job prospects will drop significantly...
However, it is up to the Mayor, because if it was part of the actual Law it would mean cannabis would be legal! Otherwise it wouldn't be possible to allow cannabis clubs in the first place.

The most horrible thing of it all is the vagueness and the shroud they use while implementing this. Nobody exactly knows the real text of the new Tolerance Policy, most council haven't been prepared and have adapted their local regulations (these were difficult to find on the web to start with).
And we don't know whether it is actually legal. Discrimination and privacy laws need to be tested in the upcoming months to see what will happen.
Typical conservative practices keep it vague and screw everyone over, and then ban it completely!

 

[gaiusmarius]

they are so sick in the head, just like the US politicians, they call war peace. now you have the Dutch calling intolerant regulation, the new tolerance policy! wtf? the hypocrisy is just so staggering it makes me wanna throw up. man oh man, these are some evil motherfuckers imo. i'm sure they chose that name very carefully. i shit on this so called new tolerance policy.

 

[mack 10]

"i shit on this.... what a Quote. seriously fu@ked up politicans!

 

[Madjag]

Politicos!

Politicos!