Which way forward for Dutch tolerance on drugs?
The Netherlands’ tolerant drugs policy is up in the air. This fall the government plans to draw up new policies to give national direction to a variety of local initiatives to clamp down on the tolerated sale of cannabis. In the Netherlands, cannabis users are not prosecuted and coffee shops are licensed, but the cultivation and wholesale of cannabis are still prohibited.
A report published on Thursday calls on the government to push the cannabis-selling coffee shops back to their original purpose, they should be limited in number and size and cater to registered local users rather than the “large-scale facilities that supply consumers from neighbouring countries” they have become.
Cities and villages on the German and Belgian border are suffering from the influx of drug tourists who come to the Netherlands to buy large quantities of hash and weed. However, tourists in Amsterdam who make a visit to a local coffee shop as part of their holiday are not seen as a huge problem. If a registration system limiting the access to members only is implemented, those tourists experiences could be a thing of the past as well.
Personal experiences in Amsterdam coffee shops aside, what do you think about the Dutch policy and the political intentions to change this? Is the current policy sustainable within a united Europe? Won’t restricting the sale of cannabis to locals just move the sale of soft drugs to the streets again?
Thursday 2 July 2009, 19:28
For the drug users Netherlands have been a heaven on earth! No one can ever convince me that a policy which helps the availability of the drugs to our citizens justified. This was a TOTAL SURRENDER of the then government by deciding to legalize the Coffee Shops knowing that this would increase the users in our society and more crimes due to the smuggling and misuse of the licence.
There should be ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY. Let us make sure that this sort of policies should never get support which would mean our younger/future generations would live healthier and decent life.
Thursday 2 July 2009, 20:51
Obviously, most young tourists going to Amsterdam go there mainly for the coffeshops. If they were closed to foreigners, tourists would stop coming to Amsterdam. Also, these restrictions would move the sale of soft drugs to the streets again, causing more problems, as it does in the UK and other countries.
I had thought that The Netherlands was leading the world in its enlightened policies towards soft drugs. This right-wing think tank has disappointed me.
There are other good reasons for legalising cannabis, as cannabis plants absorb the sun’s ultraviolet rays and could also be used to make oil, thus reversing global warming (see http://www.jackherer.com).
Thursday 2 July 2009, 22:02
This isn’t as hard a situation to deal with as you are led to believe. I’ve been to The Netherlands many times. I love the art scene, the diversity and wide array of culture to enjoy. I also enjoy the fact that I feel safer there than I do here in the USA. I have visited coffeeshops and I know a few owners. Every establishment I’ve been in has been very professional and friendly. I like nothing better than a relaxing cappuccino and a good book at a coffeeshop and then to spend time at a art gallery or museum afterward. I have driven across the border from a friends home in Antwerpen to Breda to let them pick up a little amount. It did not seem to be a bad situation. There were no herds of Pot Tourists trampling the residents.
I do feel it all comes down to control and managing your resources. License responsible growers affiliated with local shops. Monitor their activity like you do environmental aspects of other businesses. Help protect them from crime gangs and let both the coffeeshops and growers help support the country. I feel the coffeeshops have a big influence on how positively the tourist see The Netherlands as a place to vacation. They are always friendly and willing to help with advice of all sorts for vacationers. I would gladly pay for a membership since I visit for 3 weeks at a time. Personally, I would love to live there. The Netherlands feels like home no matter what I do or where I go. Even the Politie are friendly and helpful, which is hard to say about many cops in the USA. Here they are automatically defensive and there they are helpful and kind. I think eliminating coffeeshops would have far reaching negative ramifications that are hard to realize at this time. Remember control helps the situation and constraint makes people want to fight back.
I’m looking forward to my next visit to see friends and a wonderful country.
Thursday 2 July 2009, 23:07
the proposal does away with all the benefits of the Dutch system, local autonomy, avoiding criminalising drug users, seperating markets at the point of consumer contact without getting anything by way of clarity. It seems to be a capitulation to neighbouring governments who have for decades been embarassed by the coffeeshop success as manifest in the relatively low Dutch prevalence rates. If introduced it will lead to a fall in taxable revenue, in an increase in drug related crime, and to a large increase in drug arrests especially of tourists from abroad. A careful study of the impact of closing Pusher street in Copenhagen might be instructive, with the consequence of displacing markets all over town, turf wars and drug related deaths, and the triumph of organised crime groups. But then again, it was naive to think that rational policy would prevail even in as famously pragmatic a country as the Netherlands.
Friday 3 July 2009, 0:14
I wish that the Dutch authorities were as open as NRC Handelsblad in soliciting opinions from us foreigners as to the way forward for Dutch policy towards Cannabis. And I wish that the Dutch media actually gave a monkey’s about whatever we tell you. There’s just no sincerity about this exercise. Still, we live in hope.
Pretty obviously, the social and political establishment is behaving in a proscriptive (and prescriptive) and unsympathetic way, and the media is deliberately adopting a position of assumed neutrality – unlike during the seventies when the underground press was an enthusiastic player – so we must assume that no one today in Holland has any ideas and that the industry (legal,semi-legal, and tolerated) lacks a vision of its own future.
The pressure for any change at all is most certainly not coming from abroad. America’s economic problems give the Obama government far more to worry about than the Dutch and their Waccy Baccy tourist industry. The same goes for the European Union authorities.
Yet the legalised coffeeshop sector still refuses to face reality and draw a line in the sand. They could act, and start by publicising just how organised the anti-cannabis offensive actually is.
It might have escaped notice that California has recently put marijuana smoke on a list of cancer-causing agents, based on a committee’s policy vote rather than published science.
Tonight’s Manchester Evening News has the story of a coroner declaring that the cause of death of a 17-year old who died of a heart attack was his known habitual use of cannabis. This utter rubbish, eagerly tagged “exclusive” by one “Pete Bainbridge”, was printed despite a post mortem by Dr Sally Hales which found no traces of cannabis or any other illegal drugs.
Such insults – to our intelligence – are what we habitually accept, and what, unfortunately, the media feels it can get away with reproducing.
Journalists apparently have more useful issues to concern themselves with – such as the contents of Michael Jackson’s will or the value of mobile technologies in the imaginary campaign for regime change in Iran.
It seems as though an oportunity exists for a radical campaign to reverse the polarity of the Dutch public mood in favour of full legalisation of the whole cannabis industry – from hemp products to legally-secure coffeeshop businesses. Ayn Rand would certainly approve.
It would also make sense for such a movement to offer support to those active in the Irish No campaign in the “desperate stitch-up” second referendum.
Don’t we know there’s a slump? The world needs a new growth industry and for thirty years the Dutch establishment has been recoiling from the perfectly natural Dutch propensity to exploit the national advantage.
“It will be interesting to see what happens”, said Tom Rath to himself.
Friday 3 July 2009, 15:28
The uses of cannabis are many, and research into the medicinal and therapeutic properties is ongoing with nearly all the major pharmaceutical companies.
Synthetic and natural preparations are marketed as being useful in the treatment of insomnia, tremors, migraines, multiple schlerosis, parkinsons, rheumatism, etc etc ad nauseum.
The prices vary, as do the brand names, but for thousands of years all over the world, communities and tribes have used the plant, not only as medicine, and as a mild intoxicant, but as food and fibre for cloth.
Prohibition and control over a plant has raised prices and attracted a criminal element…. already in Spain, with a relaxation of laws, the prices have fallen substantially, people grow primarily for themselves, and thus exit the criminal merry-go-round…
Like many other Europeans, I have visited Holland, and have been impressed with the current system, the open handed approach certainly lowers crime, and the competition between the coffeeshops raises the quality of the products…. the only complaint being the prices, which compared to the cost of production are highly inflated!!!
Cannabis doesn`t suit everyone, however, there are those who gain from its` use… perhaps, in order to lessen the influx of “drug tourists” the cultivation of the plant should be legalised for personal use in all of Europe.
Saturday 4 July 2009, 0:17
What tolerance?
It is “tolerant” to semi-criminalize harmless cannabis while allowing fully legalized tobacco and alcohol to kill many people?
To put it terms that the first poster, “Khalid Ahmed Chaudry”, can uderstand, is it “tolerant” to be vexed over the splinter in my finger but ignore the log in your primary excretory device?
Forget the word tolerance. How about if we use sanity instead.
It would be sanity to fully legalize cannabis.
.
Saturday 4 July 2009, 1:33
the war on drugs only makes things worse..
just check the statistics in Holland and other countries..
Next to that each generation seems to make the same mistake..
thinking they can decide for the younger generation..
Providing the right information that gives people the oppertunity to make a well thought decision for thereselfs is the only way to reduce drugs abuse..
think for yourself..
peace
Sunday 5 July 2009, 7:56
For the person who recommended the insane policy of ZERO TOLERANCE, I recommend that he come to America and visit our county jails then go to one of our state or federal prisons; then he should go down to our southern border to visit the true insanity of drug war, by watching innocent people die in the streets.
The Dutch have been among the world leaders in rational drug policy before you bung it in the pond for foolish and irrational reasons, come see the effects of bad drug policy. After that you can decide if you want to raise Dutch taxes 15% or so to pay for the prisons you will need and another 5% or so, to pay for the increased level of violent crime that comes from the rage of those released from those prisons. Now that the Dutch government is set to retreat from one of the best drug policies in the world, come imitate America, we have the dumbest drug policy in the world, but get ready to pay for it. Not only will it devastate the traditional tolerant social fabric of the netherlands but it is VERY expensive.
Monday 6 July 2009, 14:37
Hardcore criminals will be rubbing their hands with glee at the prospect of a coffee shop ban. It would do nothing to decrease drugs use, and very possibly lead to an increase as the “thrill factor” of illegallity temps new users.
The sale of cannabis will be taken over by the hard-drugs mafia. Like heroin it will be cut with harmful substances, sold for high prices and bring users into the world of illegal drugs, which in turn would also flourish.
It would also do nothing to reduce the flow of cannabis out of The Netherlands. German and French users will still get Dutch weed, but the distribution will again end up controlled by the Mafia shipping it in lorry-loads, and enjoying the inevitable price rises.
If the authorities really want to contol cannabis use here, they should
- Decriminalise, and bring the shops directly under state licensing.
- Discourage excessive use in the same way as alchohol now is
- Defend a policy that has lead to a lower proportion of drug-use in the population than when compared to neighbouring countries
Monday 6 July 2009, 18:26
As a native Californian I have always thought the Dutch people to be the most enlightened and compassionate in their drug policies.
I live very close to the border in San Diego and it is horrendous what is happening to Mexico; so dangerous that I will not go there again in my lifetime.
America has made prisons big business. We have the highest prison population in the world; a perfect police state. You don’t want to lock up perfectly good citizens and drive away the tourist trade. California would do well to adapt the Dutch standard, since cannabis growing is our largest cash crop, and California is broke at the moment.
g.g. schaumburg
Monday 6 July 2009, 22:27
I’m not a foreigner.
I live here. I still like it here, tough things are rapidly changin.
Marijuana is an excellent product. It shoud be legal, taxed and sold for a right price to informed buyers. Wether they are Foreign or Domestic.
To consider it morally degenaratory to smoke weed is the same as condeming homosexuallity.
Wednesday 8 July 2009, 18:04
Born and raised in Amsterdam, I can say that young people don’t just go to Amsterdam for the coffeeshops. Where has that guy been?? I am NOT worried about tourism declining in Amsterdam because of enhanced drug policies. In terms of drug policy: the Dutch can’t have it both ways. You either say “no” to weed, or you let it be, and tolerate any quantity. Time has come for the Dutch to make a change. Part of the issue is our neighboring countries. I agree that zero tolerance sounds like the solution. I have seen friends end up in the street gutter (litterally) because of weed. They start out with easy to get weed, and end up with heroin.
Wednesday 8 July 2009, 20:49
Not long ago a friend of mine visited Amsterdam. He was beaten up by a group of Moroccan youth. He won’t be visiting Amsterdam or the Netherlands again. I suspect most tourists would just as soon pass up on Amsterdam and go to another town. Why not go to Brussels or Hamburg instead?
I still know people who go to Amsterdam to sample marijuana legally. If Amsterdam wants to continue attracting tourists it needs to offer something other than street thugs. Why not make marijuana available to tourists? It can be carefully supervised and heavily taxed.
Thursday 9 July 2009, 19:54
Khalid,
What does not make sense about zero tolerance is that it will NOT solve the problem. Do you really think people will stop smoking if they had zero tolerance? No, all it means is that they will resort to getting it on the streets as opposed to the safer coffee shops.
I do not want to convince you of anything since you are too close minded for me to successfully do that
but your argument that people will live longer and healthier if weed was not tolerated is laughable. Nicotine and alcohol are proven to be worse and weed has NOT recorded one death EVER so if anything the things that are legal should be illegal and the weed should be legal. I just do not get how people want to be against legalization simply since they only want to have a difference of opinion rather than looking at the facts then deciding.
Thursday 9 July 2009, 22:13
As an american living in Holland for many years, I am very disappointed to see US states moving forward in regards to cannabis legalization and holland moving backwards.
the answer is very simple, legalize the herb from production to sale, and regulate it as you would any product in the market. Concerned about health? Education is the answer, not law enforcement. How many dutch users and dutch VOTERS have never heard of a vaporizer? Carconogenic smoke is not the only way to ingest marijuana, and people should know that. (although, its being shown by recent research that there are inherent ANTI-cancer properties in marijuana that counter the actual carcinogens present in the tar and smoke)
Another point, the committee says that it’s illegal at the EU level to legalize production of marijuana for non-scientific or medical purposes. I am DEEPLY concerned that a country is willing to forego its sovreignty and allow that kind of deference to a non-dutch body to decide dutch policies. This country needs some Ron Paul.
Friday 10 July 2009, 18:29
Perhaps there’s a saner middle: Heavily tax non-locals. For the casual tourist experimenting, the price will be relatively inelastic, but routine “exporters” will find it cheaper to source in their home countries.
If you do make a change, please, please, first document your citizens’ usage levels and harms so you can make an intelligent comparison later. “Zero tolerance” is a great-sounding slogan that we Americans are finally starting to abandon after reviewing the unintended effects.
Saturday 11 July 2009, 0:34
I think the politicians in the Netherlands should visit a few countries pushing the drug war on Cannabis and see how much money they ( we, Americans) spend fighting a bad war. If they were forced to spend the money needed to do everything wrong like our American Politicians, there would be no money for their salaries, social services, national infra-structure maintainability and growth, or anything else that benefits the country as a whole.
Tax the cannabis growers, sellers and users and let them continue to live a normal productive life as the Professionals they are.
It’s like saying ” Sorry Productive Citizen! You can’t smoke that, so we are going to give you housing, food and clothes for the next couple of years , so you won’t have to work.”
Let them work, tax them, throw out the criminals and keep the economy safe and thriving with industry and tourism.
I’d still live there. I’d work and pay my taxes, like I do here in the US. I’d learn more of the language, culture and I might even learn to eat pickled herring, just to be part of a wonderful country.
Yes I love America, but I hate living in a police state. I always feel freer in The Netherlands than I do here. What’s up with that?
Tuesday 14 July 2009, 9:23
Drugs, sex. Drugs, rock & roll. Drugs, soft and hard. Drugs, mafia. Drugs, also on presciption. Drugs, here to stay. Drugs, siamese twin of booze.
As long as humanity roams the face of the earth it dabbles with substances to enhance some form of high. the continuing story of…
the Dutch State is hypocrite as can be for allowing those coffeeshops exept for the supply-side of the matter. As if those joints etc. materialize somehow without human effort… totally bizar, totally “gedogen”, going Dutch 2.0
Tuesday 14 July 2009, 9:49
Straight to ‘Amerikaanse toestanden’ (American circumstances). With the experiences the US has to date, logic would dictate not to take that road. After Pres. Obama stated federal departments halting war on marijuana use. (going dutch) The EU is keeping NL from making a well thought through decision. It is NOT NL walking out of pace, all the other countries are.
Passes for citizens (like any court would allow for this) are discriminatory & will enhance the number of people involved in criminal activities. (selling what they can buy to foreigners would be criminal) Sale of weed to foreigners would become an underworld endeavour leaving them to sell whatever they can. Coke, heroïn you name it.
There will be more cases like the depressed drunk french girl on mushrooms leaping off of Nemo. (green hull near CS Amsterdam) [reasoning for mushroom ban in NL; It must have been the mushrooms since alcohol does not make people act like that]
I know we would all expect more from this enlightened country but considering 2/3 of the parties ruling the country are christian-based this is not the case.
Christians (not all) seem to have a problem raising their children so they superimpose the problems they have onto the entire society.
When Belgians complain about the ‘drug’ tourists racing though Belgium they can inspect the suspect cars coming through. If they do not want everyone to be caught; open a coffeeshop on your own territory. If you worry about weed and driving; open more coffeeshops in city centers.
Thursday 16 July 2009, 17:03
strange these european countries interfering everywhere where it is different. But they never look in their own back yard.It is well known that the french want to close dutch cofee shops for the last decades.One point is sure the french smoke more than the dutch. And the french government are not able to stop the french from smoking cannabis.
Tell the french to stop their wine business and you will see what they will say.
Strange is as well that Obama wants to stop the drug war against cannabis and wants to start growing it again for industriel uses.
Strange the dutch are going back wards.
Maybe they want to be a normal country like the ones that want them to change.
To all countries and people accept our differences and go on resolving much more urgent problems in this world.
Friday 17 July 2009, 19:41
I futhermore wish to state I have lost almost 20 yrs of my life standing still because our Dutch politicians by being so tolerant towards so called ‘soft’ drugs they are to be held responsable for the addiction I tumbled into, for addictions are true snakepits: once the poison gets is in your system it takes precious time to get rid of it.
(not all is lost;)
Friday 17 July 2009, 19:43
I hope that the Netherlands will continue to work toward resolving issues that permit private enterprise rather than becoming more stringent toward cannabis, its production and use. It’s time for western civilization to end the prohibition of cannabis and the prosecution of those involved. The Dutch should continue to serve the world as an example of reason and governance that respects the individual’s privacy and private enterprise ability to succeed and create capital resources with proper regulation.
Saturday 18 July 2009, 17:33
I sincerely hope that pot continues to be available in the Netherlands.
My issue with the drug is calling it ‘soft.’
As humans we need to keep ourselves in balance. A beer or two, or a smoke say once a week, is a smart way to compensate for the accumulated stresses we all experience.
Pot’s image as ‘soft’ is a misnomer particularly so as the modern developed varieties are chemically imbalanced and easily make the smoker ‘hyper’ or ‘wired’. Smoking it more than infrequently will lead to damaging one’s health. These points are not currently given adequate emphasis.
So, however the law may be changed, I hope that something is done to change the perception of pot to be something to be approached in a similar way to alcohol: A good servant but a bad master.
Tuesday 21 July 2009, 17:56
Elsa- Wouldn’t that be your friends ending up in gutters because of heroin? How can you blame cannabis for the effects of a totally unrelated drug? This is not a referendum on heroin, as that is already considered a hard drug and is completely illegal. Get your substances straight.
Victor- While I understand and appreciate what you are saying, it is not the politicians’ fault you became addicted. You made that choice. Surely proper education and treatment for drugs is important, and the Dutch system is one of the most comprehensive in the world for that. Come see the USA’s method, where instead of treatment you get jail, and instead of a second chance you end up dead.
Keeping drugs in the legal sphere provides a very discernible safety net to those who choose to use them. The way to better the situation is to educate people on how to be aware of and deal with addictions, and more that that on how to avoid addiction. Responsible use is the only reasonable method to lower the harm done from drug usage. The nations with zero tolerance policies have not only just as high or higher usage levels, but the danger is increased many fold. Instead of smoking carrying only the basic medical dangers, it comes with gang violence, dirty money, organized crime, and shady methods of purchase wherein the customer has no legal protection.
Those who sell illegal drugs do so because of its profitability. Keeping drugs illegal only causes them to be more profitable, and causes those selling and possessing them to be more and more desperate to not be caught. This is why you have shootings and robberies and violence on the scale we do in the US. If businesses are legitimized they have to make use of legitimate means of operation or they will suffer the consequences. As of now, instead we have an entire complex and extensive network of growers, producers, wholesalers, middlemen, dealers, and users that all prefer (read: must!) remain out of the visible spectrum. Let them be legitimized, let them get help and protection, and let the police focus on more important issues.
Don’t let your government tell you what’s right for you.
Tuesday 21 July 2009, 23:31
A higher level of freedom is always preferable to a lower level. What a person chooses to take into their own body is their own business. How they behave is what the government should be concerned with. Let people ingest what they wish but hold them accountable for their actions toward others while under the influence. I live in the USA and hope someday to be able to grow my own cannabis and use it as I please without penalty for such use. Cannabis should be treated in a way similar to how alcohol and tobacco are treated.
Friday 24 July 2009, 13:59
22. Victor; Thank you for superimposing your personal problem onto society. Basically making my point.
Hence I must conclude you never left the country.
Some people need a sleeping pill to relax for sleep (chemicals) I tend to stick to the ‘natural’ solution & smoke a joint instead! When on holiday I do not smoke pot. Some people are simply more easily addicted (weaker minds) & I would dare to rate you amongst them. All people that drink/smoke can sue the government aswel from your reasoning.
When I read your cuntribution the following word came into mind: Gobbledygook/gibberish nonsense.
Here’s another one: “Our exploratory research points to parallel reciprocal hardware” & it does make as much sense as your argument.
(Gobbeldygook insert by gobbeldygook generator)
Saturday 25 July 2009, 0:40
Elsewhere (Google his name), Khalid Ahmed Chaudry,
a Muslim, said:
“Europe as a continent once again can see
‘Nationalism’ which might harm her relations with rest of the world and especially with the Islamic World!!”
In other words, the EU favors more Muslim immigration, and if a country like Holland wants to apply the brakes, that is the problem and not the Muslims (who contribute disproportionately to violent crime and welfare). Carried to extremes,
this kind of medieval attitude is why Wilders needs 24/7 armed protection.
That Khalid favors imposing EU policies on Holland,
can also be seen in the case of herbal highs, where he would do away with Holland’s distinctively superior policies. Maybe a little Shariah with that, Khalid?
Monday 27 July 2009, 14:50
I’m from Poland. I come from very religious family and I’m a religious person myself.
I think that nobody has the right to forbid the plant that the God almighty has put on this earth. American propaganda that eventually has led to delegalization of cannabis all over the world in the middle of past century was a work of satan.
If God almighty did not want (some of) us to try marijuana he would not put a sensor into our brain that respons only to THC and it does not respond to any other substance. (scientific research in 1989 at St. Louis Medical Academy)
After I die the God will judge me: whether I smoked too much weed in my life and neglected the important issues or did I smoke too little and made too many bad thinghs in my life because I was not “high” enough at that time.
If any human tries to punish me for use/misuse of cannabis – he plays God.
This point of view is not very popular in my country, but what can you expect when for many years of comunism marijuana was described as “the evil from rotten west” (together with jazz, rock’n'roll, modern art, etc…) and now catholic church continues this crusade, helping the government to keep everyone in line. Nobody seem to notice the difference between marijuana and hard drugs.
I visit Netherlands almost every year. I admire your policy that every citizen decides for himself what is good for him and what is not (and I’m not talkin just about marijuana right now. This concerns also such issues like euthanasia, prostitution,…). Keep up the good work. The real problem is too many regulations in our life not lack of regulations.
Monday 27 July 2009, 20:28
I am 65 and have lived in Amsterdam since 2000. When I first came here I was a chronic pancreatitus patient and underwent much physical pain. The weed and hash, thru a vaporizer, helped greatly with this. Since this time I have discovered what was wrong (after 14 years) and more or less cured myself. During that time I used enormous quantities compared with most people but now days go by and I do not think to crank up the vaporizer and I quit smoking or subjecting myself to smokers several months ago, with no problems. I never smoked tobacco and that has been a real problem for me here. No one that I know of in US smokes tobacco with weed, it is ridiculous practive since one is medicine and one kills you. Clearly the tar is a problem in both if smoked.
I do agree with the shops approach which unfortunately eliminated women and children but it is clearly detrimental to people’s intellectual growth to be exposed to this sort of chemical at too early an age. 21 is probably a better time than 18. I was 26 and had never dreamt of such a thing, having spent four years in the military, ,before I encountered this in college. At first it helped to take the edge off my personality, sort of like drinking moderately. When I began to have serious pain it became critical to my life since the physicians would not give me pain-killers, not wanting to make me into a “drug addict.” This is utter nonsense but I was allowed to suffer for 13 years, like a person in a prison camp, by doctors who shared this philosophy before being given a pain-killer by our teaching hospital in US where the people are more enlightened and pragmatic. This would not be the case in Nederland so I continue to deal with my medical needs in America in spite of the fact that I am here virtually all of the time.
Changing this will lessen the tax base; cause financial hardship to many people, make no difference to people like me because few of us by in shops now. The shops are for retail, tourists, people who are not smokers as it were. Real smokers either grow their own or buy it in quantities such as to reduce the price to a third or less of the rates charged by the shops. They go to the shops but buy tea, coffee, juice, etc, not weed. This is an economic matter, of course and a number of people have no choice but to buy in small quantities and they frequent the shops, the majority not stopping, just passing thru and picking up. The stoners will go to Morroco, Jamica, Hawaii, one of the 13 US states where weed is now decriminalized, or some place in which cool people can easily live this lifestyle. The latter would describe about half of the world.
Amsterdam has always been the ultimate port city, being the first to understand new trends and to find a way to live with this behaviour if it is not harmful to people.
Smoking is harmful. Taking toxic drugs like estacy, heroin, morphine, speed, whatever is harmful. Salt and sugar are harmful to us. On the other hand in what way will we prevent people from doing these things, other than thru education, which does not provide a worse problem than the problem itself? We currently have about one tenth of a percent of our people in jail as opposed to the US situation where the majority of our “criminals” are in fact minor drug users, often of drugs such as are sold in smart of coffeeshops. Clearly this approach will not work. Other than the present policy of accomodation (including actually bringing the growers into the system so that they pay taxes and are part of the society) what can be done to address this situation more effectively?
Thursday 30 July 2009, 19:47
This is so sad to read. If you want to see “Zero Tolerance” in practice in a country similar to the Netherlands, go to Oslo. Just stepping off the main train station will show how restrictive drug policies changes society into a system of private security guards on every single corner, untreated junkies and beggars roaming the streets and a flood of street dealers and thugs reaping massive profits whispering ‘hashish’ all over the city. Personally I moved to Amsterdam not because I use drugs (I never do), but because I wanted to get away from the meaningless restrictive policies and the grime that follows. And to comment on what is said above, they certainly advance to heroin in Oslo too, tolerance or no tolerance.
One thing I wish the proponents of stricter drug policies could explain to me is how less tolerance is going to make life better for us? How is a Drug Czar and higher age limits making life in the US better than life in Holland? Why is more restrictions not going to lead to the same kind of criminalized and tension-filled society? And to Chaudry – can you please tell me how it has made decent and healthy youths out of anyone? I would love to see an example of the happy, zero tolerance society that works so well. Really!
Tuesday 11 August 2009, 20:34
In my neighbourhood of Amsterdam live many Moroccans from the Rif Mountains, where hash has been produced and consumed for centuries, but alcohol was forbidden, since some verses of the Qur’an are quite explicit about the dangers of wine.
We also have West Indians in my neighbourhood, whose dreadlocks indicate a religious dedication to ganga, not unlike the religious dedication of Christians to wine.* And on a less devout level we have already two generations of Dutch people who grew up with progressive policies concerning pot, and who will not accept sudden repression.
Catholics are known to be alcoholics, and in my neighbourhood they cause a lot more disturbance than pot smokers. So if the question is what way to head in the future, I would first fight for equal rights!
If the supply of ‘weed’ is not legalized, than neither should the supply of alcohol. If weed growers can’t get permits, then neither should alcohol producers. If Holland is not allowed to export weed and marijuana products, it should refuse to import alcohol in turn. It is high time there came an end to the privileges of the alcohol addicted Christians.
I am not in favour of suppression, but in favour of equal rights.
*After his death, Jesus was deified (a Roman not a Jewish custom), became a resurrection god and took on the current symbol of resurrection gods: the vine. Thus it was said he changed water into wine (as does the vine), thus he was quoted; “I am the vine.” Thus he was resurrected (as does the vine), and thus we call wine his blood, and we drink it to keep him alive. Not only Jesus, all wine gods are resurrection gods, by the way.
Wednesday 12 August 2009, 11:50
I think the Dutch approach to the classification of Cannabis works a lot better than many other countries, NZ or UK for instance. It should not radically change and I think that the current right wing government are in danger of destroying some of the policies that make the Netherlands a more enlightened society than other small European countries. Other countries waste a lot of money trying to enforce a zero tolerance policy which will never end up working.
As I understand it the problem is around the back door supplying of the shops. There are only two sensible options:
- license the growers and regulate (this will probably cause problems in International relations but would bring in tax revenue)
- continue with the status quo
The other option that the temperant right seem to want to implement will ultimately transform the Netherlands into a different society, one that I for one would not like to live in:
- criminalize and shut down all growing (unattainable goal that will cost the taxpayer a lot of money)
Come on Dutch people, write to your local politician, don’t let a few retiring conservatives ruin the sensible attitudes that have prevailed here for generations.
Consider what it would be like if coffeeshops are further criminalized and or shut down, its easy just take for example another country like NZ:
- people will continue to buy weed but now have to buy it from illegal sources, these illegal sources are in many cases involved in other things than just weeed (the ‘barrier’ is removed)
- these illegal sources not only sell weed but also commonly methamphetamine (which is cheaper in the illegal market and horribly addictive)… is that better for keeping society/kids off drugs?
Don’t take for granted the comparitively low crime rates that currently exist. The supplier problem for sure exists but think carefully not to pick the lesser of two evils.
Just look at how the situation for weed operates in UK/Denmark/France/US/NZ/Aus etc… Is that what the Dutch people want to change to?
Wednesday 12 August 2009, 19:24
The government needs to build on the premise that all bans have a history of failure. I liked the Dutch approach to the use of weed and hash. A friend in the Arnhem Police told me the real problem was with the heroin whores who would do anything for a fix. The soft drugs should be treated like alcohol, “a good servant but a bad master.” Bans will only bring hardened criminals into the market. Police resources should be concentrated on controlling hard drugs and harmful substances that harm society as a whole. Let common sense prevail.
Thursday 13 August 2009, 17:03
@ 33 John & 34 Ronald
Sad to say but with this christian monopolised government we are striding into a pre-civilisation era. It will get worse because of the democratic system where political groups/parties will always have to form a coalition to conjure up a majority. The largest party @ the moment is CDA (christian based) that colluded with the worker’s party to form this monstrosity of a coalition. Add a whiff of orthodox christianity & this is the result.
Gays back in the closet/women in the kitchen/ban on abortion etc…… (they’re all looming)
This is not the only piece I wrote. I wrote # 20 & 27 aswel & this basically adds to that. (a little repeat maybe)
Wednesday 9 September 2009, 19:42
Watch the Ireland vote, once and if they say Yes, we can really start to say goodbye to the good dutch tolerance values or prepare to start it all over again.
Robert Jasper Grootveld over (terpen)tolerantie (1972)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7K_1C2cWsBE
Saturday 12 September 2009, 7:08
I live in the tropics, specifically Belize, and here weed is smoked by many but because of our dependency on the US nobody touches the issue of legalizing or decriminalizing weed. We have some pretty stupid laws concerning marijuana in Belize. People live in constant fear of being busted by the police. Soon I will start a campaign on trying at least to decriminalize it. My main point is as long alcohol is legal I will fight for weed. In Belize the leading cause death has been, for some years, car accidents and alcohol is usually responsible. But in Belize people drive with alcohol and the police do nothing. On Island of San Pedro, our largest tourist attraction, the style is to drive around in your golf cart with a drink. Drinking in Belize is a National pastime. Nobody says anything because drinking alcohol is acceptable. I have always admired the Dutch for there attitude towards marijuana. I think legalization is the only answer. Naturally it must be controlled, like cigarettes, or at least taxed for growers and sellers. It would bring great revenue for all countries. I think now is the right time. America is pushing for legalization or at least decriminalization. Bottom line is, people are tired of going to jail for smoking ganja. You guys in Holland can’t give up. We want to follow you lead.