Apparently the dutch hate tourist money and want to drive drugs out to the streets instead of the safety of a taxed coffee shop. This is so stupid.
From WireUpdate.com:
In an effort to stop drug tourism, the Dutch government on Friday decided to restrict access to cannabis coffee shops so that tourists will no longer be able to buy the drugs.
Coffee shops are establishments in the Netherlands where the sale of cannabis for personal consumption by the public is tolerated by the local authorities. As this is illegal in most countries, many tourists from around the world travel to Amsterdam to use cannabis.
But in an effort to reduce criminal behavior and tourism as a result of the drug policy, the Dutch government on Friday decided to introduce a membership system for coffee shops. The city of Amsterdam, where most tourists go, is against the decision.
The new system will require members of coffee shops to be a citizen of the Netherlands and over the age of 18. “The coalition agreement says that the current open door policy of coffee shops should be stopped and that the fight against organized drug crime should be intensified,” the Dutch cabinet said in a statement.
The new laws will require coffee shops to become closed clubs for the local market, meaning that only Dutch citizens will be allowed access if they are able to show a valid ID and have a membership of the coffee shop in question.
The membership will be in the form of a club card which can be provided by coffee shop owners if those who want to be a customer can produce a valid ID and proof that he or she lives in the Netherlands. The membership will be for a period of at least a year, but coffee shops will be restricted in the number of club cards they can issue.
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