Dutch Marijuana Tourism Ban Will Increase Crime: Amsterdam Officials

GlobalPost :

AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands -- The city of Amsterdam is preparing to fight for tourists' right to party.

The capital's town council, backed by the tourist board and local campaigners, is opposing a new law proposed by the Dutch government that would ban foreigners from frequenting the city's cannabis-serving coffee shops by 2012.

Read the whole story: GlobalPost

Comments

[Highentology]

10:15 PM on 06/25/2011

Huge drop in revenue? And everyone will come to California instead?

[bjork rules]

03:41 PM on 06/25/2011

That is a terrible, terrible idea. What's next, no prostitutes for tourists? Let the people experience what Amsterdam has to offer, this is one of many things, but an important one for tourism.

[Team Brogan]

03:34 PM on 06/25/2011

I was on vacation in Amsterdam last week. Lovely city but vastly overpriced in comparison to other capitals which have many more mainstream tourist attractions (Paris, Rome, Venice, London, etc.). The ONLY reason I can see for the inflated price is the availability of soft drugs. This draw is way too important for the Netherlands to outlaw it. They would risk losing too many tourists' Euros. The drugs and hookers were not my bag, but no one can deny that it is a safe, clean and friendly city.

[Js420]

02:44 PM on 06/25/2011

Thanks Amsterdam, i look forward to someday sit at a coffee shop. Puff on a joint & dig into some pancakes!

[fumes]

12:45 PM on 06/25/2011

LEGALIZE!!!

do it for the children:

"He was dying and his doctors said nothing more could be done. The father knew that cannabis had been known to cure cancer. He asked the doctors about that. Not only didn’t the oncologists take such questions seriously, they said that to even discuss such a treatment within the walls of the hospital could cause the hospital to lose federal funding.

So the parents, receiving advanced cancer care for the boy in a state that does not allow medical marijuana, had a choice to make. They could do the right thing, the legal thing, and let their child die because to try and save him would be illegal. Or they could do the other right thing and give him the oil from a plant that anyone can grow in their backyard–but which happens to be a controlled substance.

That Cash is alive and laughing like a three-year old today tells you all you need to know about his parents. They are outlaws."
http://coloradoindependent.com/90826/the-cash-hyde-story-one-of-the-youngest-medical-marijuana-patients-is-thriving

[eva07]

04:56 AM on 06/26/2011

x2

[fumes]

12:41 PM on 06/25/2011

governments..

the world over..

tend to gravitate toward control..

instead of service.

they are there to serve.. that's their job!

[RedLeg2]

10:21 AM on 06/25/2011

#1 I am so glad I got to experience the Dam as it was intended.
#2 The Dutch will just create a "middle man" that happens to be a dutch citizen, which will illegally purchase pot for the tourists for a surcharge.

The proverbial genis cannot be placed back in the bottle on this one.

[Captain Doobie]

09:59 AM on 06/25/2011

The people of Amsterdam (and all over Europe) need to fight hard to not allow passage of this insane measure. The revenue that taken in from the tourism is nearly immeasurable and the pleasure it gives to everyone is incalculable. Here again I hope common sense overcomes ignorance and keeps the will of the people forefront. Join your local Norml and help spread the sanity.

[msdusti]

11:35 PM on 06/24/2011

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that in all likelihood, this bill won't pass, and if it does, it'll be quickly reversed as soon as they see how much money their economy is losing. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

[DMT8665]

11:18 PM on 06/24/2011

The one place in the world you could go smoke a joint and not get hassled, is closing its doors.

Never made it there, always wanted to.

It's up to you now California...

[usrnmna]

05:24 AM on 06/25/2011

We're working on it. Wish us luck.

[fumes]

12:44 PM on 06/25/2011

there are two places in the world..

amdam and here..

oh shidt.. i hear helicopters..

[jdjay]

10:24 PM on 06/24/2011

The reason I say that is that we have to let the ball deflate in the most respectful manner as possible at every moment. Thousands of kids are resorting to suicidal poisons because the fed is not willing to legalize marijuana. Marijuana is the most effective treatment for depression. When you way the social costs objectively there is no doubt about it. Tens of thousand of American youth are injecting life threatening substances into their bodies at this very moment. All we need to do is legalize that little herb and we will immediately alleviate the unnecessary deaths of thousands of people. But the monopolization of our drug market restricts medication in its most organic form. This has got to stop. What are the actual social costs involved with criminalizing marijuana? This hoarding of profits has no moral ground to stand on. Just let the man smoke his herb and quit forcing him to inject dangerous chemicals that you really have very little understanding of what they are actually doing. I say this mainly because a friend of mine OD'd on oxicotins .last month mainly because of our pharmaceutical monopoly. I do not smoke pot myself at the present moment of my life so don't bother harassing me about that.

[aghughes]

09:39 AM on 06/25/2011

I live in California and have been a medicinal cannabis user for about 14 years. Legal prescription not one of these doctor/dispensary user that have sprung up all over the state. I do beleive it should be legal. I need to disagree with one of your statements however and that has to do with the line about effective treatment for depression. Marijuana can in fact cause depression if used improperly. I am a person who has always been very happy go lucky but a few years ago I suddenly had a bad bout of depression and as it was new to me I consulted a doctor who simply adjusted my prescribed dosage and it all went away. Another thing I am sceptical about, treatment is as a pain releaver whenever I am medicated if I am bothered by pain anywhere it is all you can think about. But maybe that is just me.

[jdjay]

10:14 PM on 06/24/2011

It's time to abandon the phantom laws.

[jhnnxn]

10:14 PM on 06/24/2011

The threat of crime against tourists is vastly overstated. If they pass this law they won't have nearly as many tourists to worry about.

[jdjay]

10:05 PM on 06/24/2011

So this republican stance on drugs? What drugs are legally beneficial for my individual development? Millions of people all over the world are poisoning themselves to death unnecessarily. Just let the man smoke is herb. Get the hell off your high horse.

[cleojones]

02:06 PM on 06/24/2011

Let them smoke if they want to....