Majority in the city parliament for open cannabis sales points
On Friday night, the news broke that a majority in the city parliament spoke out against the planned entry ban for tourists regarding tolerated shopping in coffee shops. Visitors to Amsterdam can continue to indulge their passion in the popular cannabis sales outlets and also consume the natural intoxicant in the corresponding shops. While in many other municipalities in the Netherlands the so-called Weedpass was introduced a long time ago, which must be presented before such an intention and certify the place of residence in Holland, this measure will not be introduced in Amsterdam.
The intention of the mayor, the public prosecutor’s office and the police was actually that mass tourism could be restricted and the illegal drug trade curbed by introducing an entry ban for tourists. However, the majority in the city parliament probably saw things differently and, like all opponents of the ban, feared an increase in illegal street trading, which is not subject to age or quality controls.
Not only the tourists and coffee shops can breathe a sigh of relief because of the decision made. After all, the whole city benefits from the visitors, who also travel to Amsterdam partly because of the diverse range of intoxicating hemp products. The gastronomy, hotels and many other businesses make a certain part of their sales with the people who travel, who of course pull the money out of their wallets a little faster on vacation.
But since, according to information from the administration and the judiciary, it has also been recognized that the trade in other intoxicating substances – such as cocaine – should be closely interlinked with the sale of cannabis in coffee shops, the focus is now on wanting to control the popular cannabis sales outlets more strictly. This might then be as important for Amsterdam as the doors of all 167 coffee shops in the city remain open to all adult tourists.
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