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Dutch Cannabis Cafes Under Threat

Greg Milam

Sky News

Friday 21 Nov 2008

Dutch coffee shops - famous for decades for selling cannabis legally - are under threat from a new zero-tolerance drugs policy.

The liberal approach to soft drugs in the Netherlands has given it the reputation as Europe's 'capital of cannabis culture'.

But local authorities are now clamping down on a business they say is sending the wrong message to Dutch youths and giving the country a bad name.

A conference involving all of the Netherlands' municipalities will today discuss what should be done nationwide about the liberal drug laws.

The tough stance has been led by towns along the Dutch border with Belgium where officials and residents becoming fed up with so-called 'drug tourists'.

Han Polman, mayor of border town Bergen-op-Zoom, said: "We have each week 25,000 drugs tourists especially from Belgium and they bring much insecurity with it.

"There are also many drug runners and drug dealers who try to get a drug tourist to illegal places where they can buy more of the soft drugs.

Cannabis plant

"What the effects are on the National drug policy I don't know but I think and I heard it's a very important signal for the national discussion."

Many coffee shops close to the Belgian border have already closed as local authorities limit the amount of cannabis that can be sold.

One local told reporters: "Foreigners come from Northern France and Belgium and they don't behave very well.

"They come in cars, mostly Volkswagen Golf, they drive too fast, you can smell them in these coffee shops, it stinks - I don't like it."

But some 'drug tourists' warn it will be counter-productive.

Irish student Jill said: "It's great when things are legal here, people don't take advantage.

"It doesn't become corrupt and obviously if you close them around here, are people not just going to travel further in?"

The coffee shop owners are taking legal action to protect their businesses.

 

 

 

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