Amsterdam To Close Many Of Its Brothels, Marijuana Cafes, Sex Shops

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands — Amsterdam unveiled plans Saturday to close brothels, sex shops and marijuana cafes in its ancient city center as part of a major effort to drive organized crime out of the tourist haven.

The city is targeting businesses that "generate criminality," including gambling parlors, and the so-called "coffee shops" where marijuana is sold openly. Also targeted are peep shows, massage parlors and souvenir shops used by drug dealers for money-laundering.

"I think that the new reality will be more in line with our image as a tolerant and crazy place, rather than a free zone for criminals" said Lodewijk Asscher, a city council member and one of the main proponents of the plan.

The news comes just one day after Amsterdam's mayor said he would search for loopholes in new rules laid down by the national government that would close marijuana cafes near schools citywide. The measures announced Saturday would affect about 36 coffee shops in the center itself _ a little less than 20 percent of the city total.

Asscher underlined that the city center will remain true to its freewheeling reputation.

"It'll be a place with 200 windows (for prostitutes) and 30 coffee shops, which you can't find anywhere else in the world _ very exciting, but also with cultural attractions," he said. "And you won't have to be embarrassed to say you came."

Under the plan announced Saturday, Amsterdam will spend euro30 million to euro40 million ($38 million to $51 million) to bring hotels, restaurants, art galleries and boutiques to the center. It will also build new underground parking areas.

Amsterdam already had plans to close many brothels and some coffee shops, but plans announced Saturday go further.

Asscher said the city would reshape the area, using zoning rules, buying out businesses and offering assistance to upgrade stores. The city has shut brothels and sex clubs in the past by relying on a law allowing the closure of businesses with bookkeeping irregularities.

Prostitution will be allowed only in two areas in the district _ notably De Wallen ("The Walls"), a web of streets and alleys around the city's medieval retaining dam walls. The area has been a center of prostitution since before the city's golden shipping age in the 1600s.

Prostitution was legalized in the Netherlands in 2000, formalizing a long-standing tolerance policy.

Marijuana is technically illegal in the Netherlands, but prosecutors won't press charges for possession of small amounts. Coffee shops are able to sell it openly.

Comments

[gonnuts]

So, driving it underground, that will stop organized crime? By making these things illegal aren't they just boosting organized crime? Because believe that the bemand is not going away, and neither is supply. If it's out in the open and therefore legal, it's much easier to scrutinize.

Another example of Alice in Wonderland thinking. Are they trying for Statehood in this asinine backwards thinking country?

[NearlyNormalWarren]

"asinine backwards thinking country" - that was childish and so untrue. If the US was as responsible as Amsterdam we never would have lost New Orleans. Amsterdam is below the water line and well protected by a series of dikes.

[OutragedMom]

The Netherlands is one of the most forward thinking countries in the world and one that all others should emulate in many respects. Open your mind a bit. It is much more than marijuana and regulated prostitution. They are geniuses at environmental clean up, mechanical engineering, nautical engineering, water management and more. In the public schools, the students learn their native Dutch, English, German and French. By not spending their federal dollars trying to regulate people's private lives, they have built a great and progressive society and a beautiful, "green" country. It's not perfect, but I would live there if I could.

[Dwight5]

Actually, I think gonnuts is calling the USA a "backwards, asinine country".

[robertangel30]

exactly. gonnuts is referring to USA.

[southernfried]

oh well there goes my future trip

[zorak1704]

nooooooo

[allonfla]

I guess the Legalize It movement can't use Amsterdam as their best example anymore - organized crime? we have enought here in the US.

[voltaire11]

Oh Amsterdam, don't tell me you elected a bunch of Conservatives over there. We just got rid of a bunch over here. I guess P.E. Obama's plan is working already, we are sending our products overseas after all.

[geha714]

Next week: Amsterdam files for Chapter 11

[stayinsouth1981]

There go our family vacation plans. I was hoping to do the John Irving Amsterdam tour. We will wait for Spring and see the rest of the countryside, rent bikes and get some exercise.

[xenophon]

Hey! They can't do that! I've been saving my money to go there, and I don't have enough yet!

[kyletx10]

While I agree that the Red Light district isn't somewhere that you would want to take your kids, I have never thought of Amsterdam as somewhere that you should be "embarrassed" to have visited. I love it more than most any other European city. The people are great, the place is beautiful, and if you want, on just about every block you can stop in and try a different kind of amazing pot. I hope that they don't drastically change a city that I have a great love for.

[shanghaislim]

Amazing Food, too!

Brodjes & Stampot, but nothing beat the Rijstaffel

[kyletx10]

Right, I forgot to mention the food.... AMAZING

[brooklyncitizen]

"as part of a major effort to drive organized crime out of the tourist haven.

The city is targeting businesses that "generate criminality," including gambling parlors, and the so-called "coffee shops" where marijuana is sold openly. Also targeted are peep shows, massage parlors and souvenir shops used by drug dealers for money-laun­dering."

OK I thought the whole point of legalizing this stuff (drugs and prostitution) was to prevent crime....t­his certainly puts a dent in the logic for those clamoring to legalize drugs in america or legalize prostitution.

Ultimately it is a failure because both activities allow for the exploitation of others which is always the foundation of all criminal activity.

[nick53]

booboo.. we're all waking up from the myth that weed is safe.. glad the dutch are elading the way :-D

[shanghaislim]

Lots of myths out there Nick.

Which ones we choose to believe or not define who we are as people.

I know that a certain segment of our population was very susceptible to the lies and myths perpetuated by the right wing neo-cons. So while YOU might believe the "MYTH" was "Weed is not harmful" many many many others, Nick, believe the "MYTH" to be the exact opposite. "Weed is bad. Weed is a gateway drug. Weed is evil."

Step up and choose your poison.

[kyletx10]

I hope you put out your cigarette before you made that statement. There are much more dangerous things that Americans partake in every day.

[GibsonSG]

Your comment has nothing to do with this article. They are not closing coffee shops because weed is evil. The shops are being closed to create a more family friendly city center, similar to what happened when Times Square was cleaned up. The shops being closed make up about 20% of the total coffee shops in the city. Read the article, not just the headline, before commenting.

Nobody is saying weed is safe, but it is less dangerous than other products which are completely legal. Cigarettes and alcohol are much more detrimental to human beings and society than weed will ever be, yet they are still sold every day.

[Snafu]

It is safe... Far safer than alcohol and cigarettes. The problem Amsterdam has is it is the only place it is tolerated, so every weekend you have thousands of people from all over the world showing up just to partake. If other nations were more tolerant there wouldn't be an influx of party animals flowing into the city.
Name a single study that shows marijuana is dangerous. The US government tried to show it caused cancer, unfortunately for the government the factual evident showed long term pot smokers have LOWER instances of cancer. The government tried to show it had detrimental effects to the brain, then this year they discovered long term pot smokers have lower instances of Alzheimers disease. It is an intoxicant, I'm not one of those people who think it's a magical drug. The use of marijuana doesn't rize to the need of the state to incarcerate people for any amount of time, let alone the stiff sentences served in the united states. The average pot grower serves more time than rapists !!!
you know nothing.

[dutchman]

I was going to say the same thing, but you did it so well that there's no point.

Thanks,

Dutchman

[deweym]

At the end of the day, it is simply a plant.

[shanghaislim]

*Sigh*Sob*

......as long as they aren't any of MY favorite places?

[DavidGetsInvolved]

This is from the article, and well....if you read it with an inuendo-laced twinkle in your eye, it should put a smile on your face...:

"It'll be a place with 200 windows (for prostitutes) and 30 coffee shops, which you can't find anywhere else in the world -- very exciting, but also with cultural attractions," he said. "And you won't have to be embarrassed to say you came."

:)

[NoElephants]

Haha I caught that too......

[onemorecraig]

Did the mayor really say, "It'll be a place with 200 windows (for prostitutes) and 30 coffee shops, which you can't find anywhere else in the world _ very exciting, but also with cultural attractions," he said. "AND YOU WON'T HAVE TO BE EMBARRASSED TO SAY YOU CAME"?
tee hee hee.....Re­ally?....j­uvenile, I know but I expect to see either John Stewart or Stephen Colbert go to town on that one.

[Dwight5]

No, the mayor did not say that. The guy who championed the closings said that. Read the article again.