Haarlem Cannabis Cafes Reject Dutch-Only Member Passes

[marmar]

All 16 cannabis coffee shops in the city of Haarlem have united in opposition to the Dutch government's "Weed Pass" program, which would bar foreigners from entry to the coffee shops and make the coffee shops "members only" for Dutch citizens. The plan foresees placing a cap on the number of members each coffee shop could have.

The conservative coalition governing the Netherlands doesn't like marijuana. It has created the Weed Pass program first as a measure to reduce "drug tourism" in Dutch border cities, and second as a means of restricting coffee shop numbers within the county. It was supposed to be rolled out in the border towns in January, but has been delayed until May, and is supposed to go nationwide next year, despite objections from, among others, the city of Amsterdam.

The Haarlem coffee shop owners, unified as Team Haarlems' Coffeeshopentrepreneurs (THC), announced Friday that they "have decided not to comply with the new criteria for tolerated coffee shops, like registering Dutch citizens as cannabis users, and discriminating against all non-Dutch coffee shop visitors."

The Weed Pass plan would bankrupt their businesses and lead to increases in street drug dealing and personal marijuana cultivation, the association warned. It cited the results of a poll of 700 coffee shop patrons it had conducted. ................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://cannabis.hawaiinewsdaily.com/2012/02/19/haarlem-cannabis-cafes-reject-dutch-only-member-passes/

[Comrade Grumpy]

1. I don't know what happened to the Dutch. They started electing conservative governments.

Which hate Muslims, migrants, and marijuana.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

2. No, they just really hate shitfaced tourists who think they're at Euro-Mardi Gras

Last edited Wed Feb 29, 2012, 07:13 PM - Edit history (1)

[jberryhill]

6. Yep

Some of the tourists don't get that "tolerance" is a situation of mutual non-interference, and not (a) wandering out into the bike lanes because you aren't paying attention, (b) creating clouds of smoke next to family picnics in Vondelpark, or (c) otherwise disrespecting the rules designed to allow people to do their thing at designated places.

The Netherlands is a great place - they built it themselves and are rightfully proud of it. It is not a gigantic red light district. The entire point of the red light district was to provide a buffer zone between the docks and the homes of the quite proper Dutch Protestant upper class and their families. It wasn't an open invitation to engage in boorish behavior wherever on pleases.

[TheWraith]

5. Most of Europe has conservative governments right now.

Germany, France, the Netherlands, Spain, and England all are conservative run, and there's probably more I'm forgetting. That's why I roll my eyes at the people who act like the US is the only country in the world where conservatism happens, and that Europe is some kind of idealized mecca of good government. Chances are if you transplanted DUers into Germany, or the Netherlands, or the UK, they'd find just as much to complain about as in the US if not more. You might like the healthcare, but on privacy, on immigration, on civil liberties, on economics, Europe has plenty of problems to rival ours.

[Joe Shlabotnik]

3. good for the cafe owners

A quick reality check would show that most of Hollands tourism is pot tourism. Even though I have family there, I'd probably take a pass at visiting the place if the famous weed cafe's were off limits to tourists, because its otherwise a pretty bland country in comparison to the rest of Europe. (And I don't even smoke the stuff anymore.)

[anti-alec]

4. I certainly hope the government is replaced soon

I'm sure the Netherlands voters have voter's remorse on those idiots.

I plan to visit Amsterdam one day, and I would certainly like to sample some of their wares.

I have a legal MMJ card, so...

[Ichingcarpenter]

7. Haarlem is one the coolest cities

It wasn't destroyed in either WW2 or WW1... it is a short train ride to Amsterdam, close to the Beach and is cheaper to stay than Amsterdam.

We stayed there after reading Rick Steves
travel book on Holland. Great place