Amsterdam, coffee shop

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• published: 23 Jun 2014
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Coffeeshops are establishments in the Netherlands where the sale of cannabis for personal consumption by the public is b toleratedy the local authorities. Under the drug policy of the Netherlands, the sale of cannabis products in small quantities is allowed by licensed coffee shops. The majority of these also serve drinks and food. Coffeeshops are not allowed to serve alcohol or other drugs, and risk closure if they are found to be selling soft drugs to minors, hard drugs or selling alcohol. The idea of coffee shops was introduced in the 1970s for the explicit purpose of keeping hard and soft drugs separated. In the Netherlands, 105 of the 443 municipalities have at least one coffee shop. The Dutch government released a proposal in October 2011 that banned coffee shops from selling "strong" cannabis, in which the active ingredient THC is higher than 15%.[1] This proposal was never enacted, and the strongest strains of cannabis continue to be sold openly in the Dutch coffee shops.[citation needed] A Dutch judge has ruled that tourists can legally be banned from entering cannabis cafes, as part of restrictions that were implemented in 2012.[2] This ban does not apply to the city of Amsterdam.[3] Dutch coffee houses not serving cannabis are called koffiehuis (literally "coffee house"), while a café is the equivalent of a bar. Contents [hide] 1 Coffee shop law 2 Coffeeshop news 3 Backdoor policy 3.1 Wiettop 3.2 Survey 4 Required distance from schools 5 Drug tourism 5.1 Smoking on the premises 6 Outside the Netherlands 6.1 Canada 6.2 United States 7 See also 8 References 9 External links Coffee shop law[edit] See also: Drug policy of the Netherlands In the Netherlands, the selling of cannabis is "illegal, but not punishable", so the law is not enforced in establishments following these nationwide rules: No advertising No hard drug sales on the premises No sales to anyone under the age of 18 No sale of quantities greater than five grams No public disturbances For some offenses, a business may be forced to close for three to six months; for others, the business may be closed permanently. All these rules are detailed in official policies. Coffee shops are no longer allowed to sell alcohol. Most coffee shops advertise, and the constraint is more moderating than outright prohibitive. In a gesture of discretion still technically required, many coffee shops keep the cannabis menu below the counter, even when the cannabis itself is in more-or-less plain view. Dutch coffee shops often fly green-yellow-red Ethiopian flags, other symbols of the Rastafari movement, or depiction of palm leaves to indicate that they sell cannabis, as a consequence of the official ban on direct advertising. This aesthetic attracts many public artists who may be paid to create murals in the coffee shops and use the Rastafari and reggae related imagery. Coffeeshop news[edit] Toward the end of 2013, Eberhard van der Laan, Amsterdam’s Mayor said that in 2014, some of the coffee shops near schools will be forced to close. There is some discussion on whether they will have to completely close or only during school hours, being able to conduct business after 18:00 and on weekends, should this become law.[4] Backdoor policy[edit] There is an on-going contradiction, as a coffee shop is allowed to buy and sell cannabis within the legally tolerated limits, but its suppliers are not allowed to grow or import it, or to sell it to the coffee shop: "The front door is open, but the backdoor is illegal." There are proposals for remedying this situation (as of January 2006), e.g. by controlled growing of cannabis to replace imports. One proponent of this is Gerd Leers, Minister for Immigration and Asylum Affairs, who, when in national parliament, was in favour of further criminalisation of cannabis, in keeping with the policies of his party, CDA, which is the strongest opponent of the drugs policy of the Netherlands. When confronted with the practical difficulties when he became mayor (and consequently head of police) he changed his mind and even became the best known advocate against the illegality at the back door, which takes up a disproportionate amount of time and money for the police, in tracking down (mostly indoor) plantations.