There hasn't been a year that's gone by without some sections of the Dutch parliament trying to outlaw foreigners buying bud at the coffeeshops. They could try it, then after a few months lament it as there is little reason to go to Holland as a tourist otherwise. It's ok for them to out pimp young girls that have been smuggled in to the country for foreign tourists to fuck for 50 euro, but not for some potheads to smoke and philosophise? They know the coffeeshops do not create any social nuisances, it's the dicks that are out on stag weekends and the like, they always ruin it for others.

i believe that would be america some how influencing this ... i delclare shinanigans on this article because where eles would the netherlands get any other money from? they will do this and the next year they will undo that real quick because they will lose out on about 20 billion dollars or more of tourism money so fuck that shinanigans!

http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=48543

If every person in every country had a plant, would it follow that every country would then have an even distribution of 420 tourists?

Countries would then be left with only the uneven distribution of hard drug tourists. Its a good thing that is a very small number.

Does anyone know where I would have to book a ticket to visit the crack cocaine capital of the world?

;)

"It's really sad. The only reason this is happening is because their progressive views on drugs have led millions of people to go there just for that reason.

I don't care what anyone says, if you get millions of tourists to your small country just for the purpose of drug tourism you are going to have problems."

;)

As a permanent resident of NL I would like to add to this thread. Firstly this article from the Telegraph makes me laugh. This is purely to fuel peoples minds in the UK that the once tolerant Dutch, are now not tolerant, so people in the UK should also not be tolerant. WARNING - DO NOT ALWAYS BELIEVE WHAT YOU READ IN NEWSPAPERS.

The problem the Dutch have is the external political pressures from outlying countries that lambast The Netherlands for their tolerant attitude. Basically it's the large quantities bought in border towns and cities that are causing concerns currently, good old Job Cohen (Amsterdam Mayor) is not interested in getting rid of coffeeshops....(not when he has a toke himself.....) Read this, may lay some concerns to rest:
http://www.dutchamsterdam.nl/750-amsterdam-coffeeshops-drugs-tourists
Places like Enschede, Maastricht, etc are all border towns and a source of a lot of the complaints.

I also read somewhere that some survey found that only 7% of tourists to the NL actually visit a coffeeshop!!!! Will need to try and find that again.

Over the last 2 years they have got rid of coffeeshops where you can drink (the 50 left in Amsterdam had a choice, bar or coffeeshop) - 48 of them stayed coffesshops, purely because it's harder to get a license. Some of the others simply rented a place close by and opened up a bar with the same name as their coffesshop and let people smoke weed in there. They have reduced licenses of some coffeeshops, and they have also brought the ruling in that you must close down if your coffeeshop is within 250 meters of a middlebar school (teenagers.) So it is getting tuff. And then the smoking ban (which only applied to Tobacco related products - sorry for all those peeps who mix their joints with tobacco - start smokin pure is what I say)

However even bars in the Dam let people smoke cigarettes after a certain time of night (the Dutch will find a way round everything.....Anne was in a cupboard for most of the bloody war for crying out loud) They are also building glass smoking rooms in all the bars - partitioned off from the rest of the place. Some coffeshops have created rooms so people can smoke joins with tobacco, other just don't give a monkeys.

So if you haven't been to the Dam, or plan coming, don't worry, not much is gonna change in the next few years....But, yeh, the whole attitude of them mo-fukkin Christian political parties stinks worse than my OG Kush (sorry to all you religious types - but I am a heathen - and if god does exist - it was him that bloody made the plant in the first place!!!)

So to all and happy , see you in a Weed smokin coffeeshop sometime in the not so distant future

DST

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You know what? FUCK Amsterdam! Let the 'dammers sit in their coffee shops all by themselves.

In the meantime, let's get off our ass's here, and legalize the shit. Then we can open our own coffee shops... with the finest damn herb in the world. The 'dammers can come here to get wasted if they want.

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I'd rather have a free bottle in front of me, than a pre-frontal lebotomy.... The Checkered Demon

I can't wait to visit Amsterdam.

AND to be the very first to open my very own glass-walled smoking room right here in my hometown!

My four 20 minute clubs are doing a lot of good.

;)

Seems a bit harsh Brainwarp. All smokers should be together on worldwide legalisation.....I can still get busted here so also deal with that gash!

And also, it's the Nederlanders/Dutch people/Netherlanders (due to external pressure from other countries), not the Amsterdammers that are starting this.....

But that aside Brainwarp, I would love to visit your country and smoke weed in a coffeeshop for sure. Can't wait....however, if it's the USA I am not sure having a criminal record for possession of cannabis that I will actually be allowed in??


And Woostock.Hippie.....Amsterdam is waiting for ya!!!!!

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My apologies. That was meant to be a joke, of course. But as I re-read it, I can see how it may have come off as hostile.

The point I was trying to make was "forget about going to Amsterdam." Let's make it legal to have our own "coffee shops."

And..I hadn't seen DST's post, but have now. Help's to have all the facts before you open your mouth.

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I'd rather have a free bottle in front of me, than a pre-frontal lebotomy.... The Checkered Demon

No worries Brainwarp, I agree, everyone should have LEGAL coffeeshops, even the Netherlands should make them legal and go the full hog. DST

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