DST
Well-Known Member
I was speaking to my friend who owns a coffeeshop in Amsterdam. There has been a lot of press about the changes that the Christian Deomcratic Party (a quite conservative and religious party) are trying to bring in.
Most of the press has centred around the changes that are trying to be implemented in the city of Maastricht, a border city basically. Maastricht actually sits surrounded by Belgium and Germany to the East. It has a lot of border traffic from people coming into Maastricht to buy weed. One coffeeshop was restricted and closed due to the excessive sales and customers(although re-opened).
It was agreed that the coffeeshops would then need to create memberships which can only be obtained with the correct local paperwork (i.e. residency)
However, the city then voted against implementing it (the Dutch are traders traditionally, it is against their nature to restrict trade!) Now we are in a situation where the Goverment where trying to implement this quickly, and it was looking like it would be brought in by the summer of 2011 in Maastricht. This doesn't seem to be the case anymore.
The goverment are basically dangling this over the heads of coffeeshop owners and if put through, it could be seen that in two years, only residents will be allowed to purchase.
The most recent escalation has been with the owner of the coffeeshop in Maastricht being rulled against by the EC saying that by introducing this restriction, you are effectively resticting EU citizens to be able to purchase goods in other countries. I believe due to the nature of MJ that this was overruled and it was agreed that owners could restrict sales...not really the outcome wanted.
I go to a local coffeeshop a few hundred yard from my house to buy papers and stock up on tips, anyone can buy weed there. However, if you want to stay in the coffeeshop and smoke, you need to get a membership. This includes producing residency permits and i.d. So non residents would not be allowed to smoke in this shop.
At the moment we hope for a change in Government and for this ridiculous situation to be ceased. But you are still free to smoke, buy weed and relax in coffeeshops in Amsterdam. I cannot imagine the city of Amsterdam ever happily agreeing to with the Douche bags that reside in Den Haag, the "Kakker kut wijven" that they are.
DST
Most of the press has centred around the changes that are trying to be implemented in the city of Maastricht, a border city basically. Maastricht actually sits surrounded by Belgium and Germany to the East. It has a lot of border traffic from people coming into Maastricht to buy weed. One coffeeshop was restricted and closed due to the excessive sales and customers(although re-opened).
It was agreed that the coffeeshops would then need to create memberships which can only be obtained with the correct local paperwork (i.e. residency)
However, the city then voted against implementing it (the Dutch are traders traditionally, it is against their nature to restrict trade!) Now we are in a situation where the Goverment where trying to implement this quickly, and it was looking like it would be brought in by the summer of 2011 in Maastricht. This doesn't seem to be the case anymore.
The goverment are basically dangling this over the heads of coffeeshop owners and if put through, it could be seen that in two years, only residents will be allowed to purchase.
The most recent escalation has been with the owner of the coffeeshop in Maastricht being rulled against by the EC saying that by introducing this restriction, you are effectively resticting EU citizens to be able to purchase goods in other countries. I believe due to the nature of MJ that this was overruled and it was agreed that owners could restrict sales...not really the outcome wanted.
I go to a local coffeeshop a few hundred yard from my house to buy papers and stock up on tips, anyone can buy weed there. However, if you want to stay in the coffeeshop and smoke, you need to get a membership. This includes producing residency permits and i.d. So non residents would not be allowed to smoke in this shop.
At the moment we hope for a change in Government and for this ridiculous situation to be ceased. But you are still free to smoke, buy weed and relax in coffeeshops in Amsterdam. I cannot imagine the city of Amsterdam ever happily agreeing to with the Douche bags that reside in Den Haag, the "Kakker kut wijven" that they are.
DST