Amsterdam drugs: Tourists face ban from cannabis cafes

[BK38]

When international visitors are eventually able to return to the canals that crisscross the medieval streets of Amsterdam, they may find one of the Dutch capital's famous tourist attractions off limits.

Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema wants to ban foreign tourists from cannabis cafes to tackle anti-social behaviour and push the city upmarket.

Owners of Amsterdam's fabled coffee shops are pushing back. They have told the BBC that if tourists are banned from regulated establishments, they will be pushed into the hands of ruthless drug gangsters on the streets.

Like the rest of the Netherlands, the capital is currently in lockdown.

Some of its 850,000 residents would prefer its post-Covid life to resemble its current state, rather than return to what it was. Bernadette de Wit wants to get rid of what she calls "low-value tourists", including young British women "dressed up as pink penises - they let go of all discipline".

Bernadette wobbles around to demonstrate how some visitors act from late morning onwards, urinating in the street and vomiting in gardens.

Full Article Here

 

[BK38]

This has been tried before and I think the Dutch lost something like 750,000,000 Euro in tax revenue in the first month and there was an increase in street dealing. So fucking dumb. It's not the Coffeeshops causing the problems, it's the zillion bars and drunk assholes thinking Amsterdam is like International Waters where almost anything goes.

 

[S.J.B.]

Bernadette de Wit wants to get rid of what she calls "low-value tourists", including young British women "dressed up as pink penises - they let go of all discipline".

Well we can't have that!

 

[BK38]

Well we can't have that!

Having lived in AMS for 4 years, I can tell you that the Stag/Hen (Bachelor/Bachelorette) parties from the UK were the worst. It really is obnoxious and they do behave like animals... Guarantee you it was not cannabis fueling the bad behavior.

 

[Jabberwocky]

This has been tried before and I think the Dutch lost something like 750,000,000 Euro in tax revenue in the first month and there was an increase in street dealing. So fucking dumb. It's not the Coffeeshops causing the problems, it's the zillion bars and drunk assholes thinking Amsterdam is like International Waters where almost

Yeah didn't they do this like 10 years ago and it backfired big time?

And yes, I saw lots of american assholes treating the city like their personal stoner playground, smoking joints in very public places, breaking the rules, disrespecting the locals. Crack down on those assholes, not everyone.

 

[dalpat077]

This is funny because somewhere there is another thread around here and which I read just yesterday or the day before that made me laugh i.e. a member, who is Dutch and lives in the Netherlands, said something along the lines of "great just what we need more drug tourists" and also said that the Dutch take a dim view of drug tourism. So sorry I cannot find the post or thread (the post was dated 2019 if I recall). Hilarious. To me anyway. (I almost remember the exact wording but the search function here is unforgiving unfortunately).

In searching for the above though: there's posts here going back decades on this topic.

If said member knows to whom I'm referring please point me at the post (as I say: it was hilarious).

 

[FuckinAcidMan]

Having lived in AMS for 4 years, I can tell you that the Stag/Hen (Bachelor/Bachelorette) parties from the UK were the worst. It really is obnoxious and they do behave like animals... Guarantee you it was not cannabis fueling the bad behavior.

Yeah it's the alcohol.

I find that the horror stories involving sexual assault and property damage at fraternity parties in my region of the United States

Always,

ALWAYS,

Involve alcohol.


Alcohol is fine at home.

I personally feel if any drug should be banned for public consumption/tourist use it shouldn't be cannabis.


It should be alcohol.

Sorry old friend!

Time to go home.

And stay there.

 

[dalpat077]

Yeah it's the alcohol.

I find that the horror stories involving sexual assault and property damage at fraternity parties in my region of the United States

Always,

ALWAYS,

Involve alcohol.


Alcohol is fine at home.

I personally feel if any drug should be banned for public consumption/tourist use it shouldn't be cannabis.


It should be alcohol.

Sorry old friend!

Time to go home.

And stay there.

I have to agree. Although this is off topic here I can tell you that twice now we've had a total and outright ban on the sale of alcohol due to COVID restrictions (second ban is to possibly be lifted tomorrow as a matter fact) and there can be no doubting the statistics i.e. statistics for all that you have mentioned, in addition to motor vehicle accidents, and assaults, and gender based violence have all but immediately dropped off of a cliff on both occasions. Of course: I no longer drink so easy for me to say and agree with I suppose. But you just cannot, in our case anyway, dismiss the reality. Over the festive season and new year: for the first time EVER there was not a single person admitted to the ER for alcohol based violence i.e. beds stood empty in the largest (main) hospital over the periods in question. That's not to say that people don't have access to alcohol because it's being sold on the black market. But they're forced, as a result of the curfews in place, to stay home and drink. Government has also recently passed legislation now i.e. zero tolerance. There is no maximum limit for a DUI. Limit is now ZERO.

 

[Cream Gravy?]

I have to agree. Although this is off topic here I can tell you that twice now we've had a total and outright ban on the sale of alcohol due to COVID restrictions (second ban is to possibly be lifted tomorrow as a matter fact) and there can be no doubting the statistics i.e. statistics for all that you have mentioned, in addition to motor vehicle accidents, and assaults, and gender based violence have all but immediately dropped off of a cliff on both occasions. Of course: I no longer drink so easy for me to say and agree with I suppose. But you just cannot, in our case anyway, dismiss the reality. Over the festive season and new year: for the first time EVER there was not a single person admitted to the ER for alcohol based violence i.e. beds stood empty in the largest (main) hospital over the periods in question. That's not to say that people don't have access to alcohol because it's being sold on the black market. But they're forced, as a result of the curfews in place, to stay home and drink. Government has also recently passed legislation now i.e. zero tolerance. There is no maximum limit for a DUI. Limit is now ZERO.

Jees wherever you live must be like Saudi Arabia levels of Draconian... sheesh. I just went on a liquor run and got a few 1.5L bottles last week. Not that I drink often, just like to be stocked up.

I agree though that alcohol is always the source of rowdy tourists. I've never even been abroad but alcohol is the source of rowdy locals, so why wouldn't it translate right? Boy... I wish I was wealthy enough to have had a Stag party. Or had gone abroad to disturb the peace and tranquility of some uppity Dutch folk for a night. Sounds fun...



OT: I would never bother visiting Amsterdam if the coffee shops were closed to me. Does this include the red light district? Can you still get a high-cost Euro whore as a tourist?

 

[FuckinAcidMan]

I have to agree. Although this is off topic here I can tell you that twice now we've had a total and outright ban on the sale of alcohol due to COVID restrictions (second ban is to possibly be lifted tomorrow as a matter fact) and there can be no doubting the statistics i.e. statistics for all that you have mentioned, in addition to motor vehicle accidents, and assaults, and gender based violence have all but immediately dropped off of a cliff on both occasions. Of course: I no longer drink so easy for me to say and agree with I suppose. But you just cannot, in our case anyway, dismiss the reality. Over the festive season and new year: for the first time EVER there was not a single person admitted to the ER for alcohol based violence i.e. beds stood empty in the largest (main) hospital over the periods in question. That's not to say that people don't have access to alcohol because it's being sold on the black market. But they're forced, as a result of the curfews in place, to stay home and drink. Government has also recently passed legislation now i.e. zero tolerance. There is no maximum limit for a DUI. Limit is now ZERO.

Ok so I think alcohol is kinda bad in general but this level of restriction isn't ok either!

People who want to drink deserve to be able to source clean booze, legally.

I just firmly believe it has no place outside of one's personal space/home/private life.

At least in densely populated metropolitan areas.

I got nothing against people who live way out in the country enjoying a beer in a beautiful natural setting!

I like that it is kept home in this scenario you are dealing with!

But pushing sale to the black market is NEVER the solution in my opinion.

I'm happy to hear that alcohol related deaths/violence are down in your area.


[I believe alcohol as a party drug in public places/ tourist destinations/concerts is the particular context that I am saying I see a problem-pattern with, not people quietly enjoying their alcohol in a private setting where they can kinda pass out when they've had too much.

I think that people lack a more intimate and emotional understanding regarding the risks associated with drinking and driving or the higher likelihood of men getting into violent altercations when drunk because we have made it into this bland statistical gibberish that some buzzkill is spitting at you in high school]

 

[dalpat077]

Ok so I think alcohol is kinda bad in general but this level of restriction isn't ok either!

People who want to drink deserve to be able to source clean booze, legally.

I just firmly believe it has no place outside of one's personal space/home/private life.

At least in densely populated metropolitan areas.

I got nothing against people who live way out in the country enjoying a beer in a beautiful natural setting!

I like that it is kept home in this scenario you are dealing with!

But pushing sale to the black market is NEVER the solution in my opinion.

I'm happy to hear that alcohol related deaths/violence are down in your area.


[I believe alcohol as a party drug in public places/ tourist destinations/concerts is the particular context that I am saying I see a problem-pattern with, not people quietly enjoying their alcohol in a private setting where they can kinda pass out when they've had too much.

I think that people lack a more intimate and emotional understanding regarding the risks associated with drinking and driving or the higher likelihood of men getting into violent altercations when drunk because we have made it into this bland statistical gibberish that some buzzkill is spitting at you in high school]

Once again I agree with you.

South Africans not are known for their self control when it comes to booze though! Therein lies the problem. Let's just say we're a real social bunch!

Keen to see how this NO tolerance is going to work out though. It's either going to make the likes of Uber more money (which pisses me off like you will not believe because of the way they have their structure here i.e. it's pure exploitation of the worst kind) or it's going to make the cops rich(er). Probably both.

Easy again for me to agree with you and say that it doesn't bug me for the reason mentioned. Past the club scene decades ago and must admit that I personally would rather stay home and get loaded (when I was drinking). Only thing I miss is going out to those twelve hour lunches of course! But always chose to go to restaurants close to home though. Didn't stop me from getting pulled over though on occasion. How I've not ever landed up in the slammer is beyond me (well I know why obviously). Can also honestly say that in all my years of getting up to mischief: the only substance that has resulted in me acting like an idiot and making shit for myself or totaling numerous cars has been booze. Period. But that's just me I reckon i.e. not sure if I'm representative of the rest of population (although as I say: the stats certainly prove that I'm not in the minority either that's for sure).

To add though:

Problem with these bans though is the black market. Bigger problem though is what it’s cost the leisure and entertainment industries. Tens of thousands of jobs lost due to closures and within the supply chain. Easy to forget that it’s not strictly limited to alcohol sales per se. And very few people here go out to just eat i.e. it’s an occasion and usually the booze portion of the bill is far higher than the food portion. No idea where the middle of the road is to be honest.

 

[emkee_reinvented]

If they do this they will have big trouble's.

As street dealers will fill the gap, with the risk of inferior product' , rip offs and lots of nuisance for the locals.

 

[SunriseChampion]

Interestingly, before the plague, our weed shops here seemed to have tourists as at least half their customers in certain parts of the city. Mostly Americans, obviously. Didn't notice any nonsense, probably because we don't have the reputation of being some sort of bacchanal like frankly all of Holland kind of does.

That being said, I hope it doesn't ever become a problem here. Just keep pretending we don't exist, kthxbye.

I'm assuming it's legal to drink in the streets in Holland? That might explain the diff. Here we still have Victorian-era drinking laws in some sense.

 

[bongdong]

In a way, I think they should follow through with it (also because it doesn't affect me directly, ignorant I know), and then suffer the consequences which would be obvious. But then, isn't it obvious already what prohibition and criminalization etc. do? So I fear that there is no guarantee that this will be something to learn from. What's driving this? Pissed off locals that the government is worried about, really? Anti-social stoners? Alcohol lobby? ...

Regarding tourism: I come from a touristy area, and my feeling is that over- or mass-tourism poisons everthing, doesn't matter where, when or how. See it all around me and everywhere else where this is the case. Here it leads, amongst other things, to the destruction of exactly that, which people come visit in the first place. Looks like a paradox, but I think it's just moronic. Sawing on the branch we are sitting on. There are some/few other approaches though, but they are by nature not maximizing profit, ..and by fucking Jesus we all know, that's what we want above anything else, isn't it? But framing it negative, like the lady with these "low-value tourists" is not the way to go I think.

 

[dalpat077]

Well seeing as it came up on this thread: outright ban on the sale of alcohol has been partially lifted and curfew hours shortened (as of last night). So let's see the stats. third time around!

I have to admit it's pretty surreal reading the posts on the actual thread topic with me coming from a country where this stuff is legal for personal use (and even that's about to be extended to commercial production) and yet there's people travelling all over the world in order to smoke in peace! Pity it isn't my thing I guess. And of the two: weed is benign, seems to me, in relation to alcohol.

Anybody wanna swap weed for Coca Leaf? Now there's an avenue I've not yet explored! Metric ton for metric ton. Sounds like a good deal to me. I'll even throw in some pineapple beer (which has apparently become a firm homemade favorite in the absence of the real thing during said ban)! Now there's global free trade at its finest!

 

[emkee_reinvented]

Interestingly, before the plague, our weed shops here seemed to have tourists as at least half their customers in certain parts of the city. Mostly Americans, obviously. Didn't notice any nonsense, probably because we don't have the reputation of being some sort of bacchanal like frankly all of Holland kind of does.

That being said, I hope it doesn't ever become a problem here. Just keep pretending we don't exist, kthxbye.

I'm assuming it's legal to drink in the streets in Holland? That might explain the diff. Here we still have Victorian-era drinking laws in some sense.

Def not, even Kombucha which has max 1.5 % can result in a fine if a cop sees it.

 

[BK38]

Def not, even Kombucha which has max 1.5 % can result in a fine if a cop sees it.

I've never had a cop care though. I know you're in NL and I left like 2 years ago, but unless you were being a real dickhead, they seemed to look the other way. Same with smoking pot in public.

If you're in a residential neighborhood yelling and carrying on or smoking weed by a playground or something dumb like that, then yeah, you might get popped. If you're just minding your own business and having a quiet chat with a Jupiler and a spliff in Vondelpark on a nice day? Almost no chance of being fined.

 

[emkee_reinvented]

I've never had a cop care though. I know you're in NL and I left like 2 years ago, but unless you were being a real dickhead, they seemed to look the other way. Same with smoking pot in public.

If you're in a residential neighborhood yelling and carrying on or smoking weed by a playground or something dumb like that, then yeah, you might get popped. If you're just minding your own business and having a quiet chat with a Jupiler and a spliff in Vondelpark on a nice day? Almost no chance of being fined.

The cop was a dickhead, but I definitely look like one which must have triggererd his ego. Come on 1 to 1.5 % although alcoholic won't even get you tipsy.

 

[BK38]

The cop was a dickhead, but I definitely look like one which must have triggererd his ego. Come on 1 to 1.5 % although alcoholic won't even get you tipsy.

Definitely sounds like that cop had it out for you. Tbh, I actually really liked how the Dutch cops policed in general and used their discretion re little things that they can fine you for. You must have just been unlucky I think. Sucks man.

 

[emkee_reinvented]

Definitely sounds like that cop had it out for you. Tbh, I actually really liked how the Dutch cops policed in general and used their discretion re little things that they can fine you for. You must have just been unlucky I think. Sucks man.

At least he didn't fine me but i had to toss the bottle.

When I poured the content before throwing it in the bin he almost arrested me. Had to explain that a waste bag with liquid in it is a nuisance for the guy's that take care of them.

It was the type of guy, sportschool type, probably very small dick. That gets his kicks from this shit.