Dutch Coffeeshops to become members-only clubs

[PNews]

Dutch right-wing coalition: Coffeeshops to become members-only clubs

The leaders of the conservative VVD, the Christian Democrats and Geert Wilders’ Freedom Party have presented their plans for a centre-right government. Amongst 18 billion euro cuts, tightened immigration policies and a ban on the burqa, the parties agreed to turn coffeeshops into members-only private clubs. This would also mean that foreign visitors are no longer welcome.

Similar plans to tighten the rules for coffeeshops were proposed earlier, but were only adopted by the province of Maastricht in an attempt to cut off French, Belgian and German tourists. It is likely that such measures would force many Amsterdam coffeeshops, who mostly serve tourists, to close their doors.

Opposing parties and migrant groups critize the coalition deal, saying it will increase tension in society. Leader of the Freedom Party, Geert Wilders, is due to appear in court in Amsterdam for a total of six days (over the course of a fortnight) on charges of inciting hatred and discrimination against Muslims.

Christian Democrat MPs are still divided on whether or not to support the coalition agreement.

http://azarius.net/news/379/Dutch_right ... nly_clubs/

Also see: http://www.rnw.nl/english/article/dutch ... -coalition

 

[molecularconcept]

That kinda sucks.

 

[HeartCore]

Those are the last convulsions of a dying propaganda machine that has seen it's medical arguments been shred to pieces by science over and over and over and over and over and over again.

This measure still tells people that Cannabis is bad for you and should be controlled when it clearly isn't and it shouldn't be controlled.

(Y)our government is not concerned with keeping you healthy and simply rejects science. That's what prohibition of Cannabis means.

Well according to CNN, it's a matter of time until it's legal:
http://articles.cnn.com/2010-09-28/opin ... PM:OPINION

 

[VerusDeus]

To be frank I am more concerned about the burqa law. I think it's perfectly normal for them to wan't to stop foreigners from drug tourism. It's really up to their own goverments to just listen to them, and realise that prohibition doesn't work. I do feel sorry for German, Belgian and French people for them having to be reliant upon street-dealers again once this law is in action.

However this law is not waterproof at all, people will work their way around this. And they'll have to pay close attention to coffeeshops, to see if they're not selling to foreigners anyway.(waste of money and resources)

But yeah as long as neighbouring countries keep it prohibited we'll pay part of the price for that(though I still don't know what exactly the downside of drug-tourism is, aside from political pressure of neighbouring countries) We can at least be glad that they didn't choose to just prohibit it, which would've been a much easier option politically and policy-wise.

 

[HeartCore]

To be frank I am more concerned about the burqa law. I think it's perfectly normal for them to wan't to stop foreigners from drug tourism. It's really up to their own goverments to just listen to them, and realise that prohibition doesn't work. I do feel sorry for German, Belgian and French people for them having to be reliant upon street-dealers again once this law is in action.

It's far from perfectly normal to force people to register with the government that they use Cannabis. Almost a million people could lose their privacy because foreign government can't deal with this shit themselves.

There isn't a burqa law by the way.

However this law is not waterproof at all, people will work their way around this. And they'll have to pay close attention to coffeeshops, to see if they're not selling to foreigners anyway.(waste of money and resources)

Yes the only things it does is make Cannabis more expensive, register all smokers, probably limit the amount one is allowed to buy each day and driving growing even more towards hard criminals, if that was still possible...

But yeah as long as neighbouring countries keep it prohibited we'll pay part of the price for that(though I still don't know what exactly the downside of drug-tourism is, aside from political pressure of neighbouring countries) We can at least be glad that they didn't choose to just prohibit it, which would've been a much easier option politically and policy-wise.

I don't think it will be easy at all for them to pull a full ban on Cannabis in this time because most people seem to be relatively informed nowadays. A recent poll in schools showed that kids are very well aware of the fact that alcohol is way more bad for them as opposed to Cannabis.

 

[mrvn]

I live in Holland and I don't think this will work. When you walk tru certain parts of Amsterdam and look like a toerist pushers walk up to you and ask if you want to by xtc mdma cocaïne and what not, when coffeeshops turn members only I think that there will be more pushers bothering people by selling weed. Just for the record I didn't vote for any of the partys who came up whit this idea.

 

[VerusDeus]

Okay I didn't realise the government is going to register Cannabis-users. I thought the coffeeshops would just have to put their clientele into administration.

But still, it doesn't worry me that much, at least not yet.

 

[HeartCore]

Okay I didn't realise the government is going to register Cannabis-users. I thought the coffeeshops would just have to put their clientele into administration.

But still, it doesn't worry me that much, at least not yet.

I'm worried ever since assclown Ab Klink lied the mushroom ban in effect.

 

[McAllister]

It looks like the VVD have sided with the wrong guys for their coalition just because they wanted to implement their austerity plan, which will probably lead to dutch workers going on strike anyway like other countries in Europe have experienced when carrying out such a plan. So much for their statement that they're doing it for the dutch working man.

If it's just cannabis they're going to restrict it shouldn't worry me because I only go there for the philosopher's stones. But then I don't know what the full details are going to be when the drug proposals are laid out.

 

[weedar]

I'm not sure I understood the article...WILL cannabis be regulated so only registered members can purchase it or is this
just a suggestion by someone who most likely will not form a government? Or in other words, is this just something that
members of this forum doesn't agree with but won't have to fear or is this likely to happen?

 

[HeartCore]

I'm not sure I understood the article...WILL cannabis be regulated so only registered members can purchase it or is this
just a suggestion by someone who most likely will not form a government? Or in other words, is this just something that
members of this forum doesn't agree with but won't have to fear or is this likely to happen?

Well it's part of the agreement (proposition) that is created by three parties over the past months in order to get to a workable coalition. The CDA had a congress this weekend and 68% of them voted yes for a coalition of VVD/CDA with support of the (extreme in my mind)right party PVV. Tomorrow members of CDA in the government will meet and make a decision if they are going with this coalition or not. If they are, it is expected that this all will go in effect. If they are not then it's off the table again.

 

[VerusDeus]

I'm worried ever since assclown Ab Klink lied the mushroom ban in effect.

Well at least we're rid of him now :lol: .

 

[HeartCore]

I'm worried ever since assclown Ab Klink lied the mushroom ban in effect.

Well at least we're rid of him now :lol: .

Yes, isn't it hypocrit that the same guys who banned an actual sacrament way more powerful than the fruitjuice and the cracker served in churches, now present themselves as the conscience of the CDA opposing Geert Wilder because they want to guarantee freedom of religion for everybody.