The coalition agreement of the current Dutch government includes a provision that there must be a minimum distance of 350 meters beween cannabis-selling coffeeshops and the nearest school.
In 2010, 21 coffeeshops in Amsterdam were located within that distance from a school.
Amsterdam remains opposed to plans by the Dutch government to introduce a pass card/membership system for coffeeshops — establishments where customers can legally purchase and use marijuana and other soft drugs.
The Dutch wants coffeeshops to become private clubs accessible only to adult residents of the Netherlands. Members would be registered for a pass card system, and tourists would be banned.
The municipality of Amsterdam is against plans by the new Dutch government to introduce a pass card/membership system for coffeeshops.
The coalition agreement of the new Dutch cabinet says that coffeeshops should become private clubs accessible only to adult citizens of the Netherlands. Members would be registered for a pass card system, and tourists will be barred.
The free availability of hash and marijuana attracts a lot of tourists to the Netherlands, but the new Dutch government has plans to prevent them from buying weed.
Among other measures the new government plans to transform coffeeshops into private clubs with membership available only to Dutch citizens.
The Amsterdam city council wants to experiment with coffeeshops — those establishments where soft drugs like marijuana and hash are legally sold and consumed.
In one variant drugs would only be consumed on the premises. The other consists only of a take-way counter open during established store hours.
Amsterdam mayor Job Cohen later this month will present the city councel with a handful of alternative measures designed to prevent the forced closure of coffeeshops located near schools.
Federal rules to go into effect no later than December 2011 will prohibit coffeeshops from operating within 250 meters from a high school.
The city of Amsterdam wants to make haste with its efforts to clean up its world-famous Red Light District.
Reportedly within three years it plans to start expropriating property owners who refuse to close their brothels, Dutch press agency ANP reports. To make this possible the city will soon change the zoning plan for the district. So says Pierre van Rossum, who heads up Project 1012.