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Amsterdam Set To End Ganja Tourism? | The Expeditioner Travel Site

Amsterdam Set To End Ganja Tourism?

Thursday, June 2, 2011

The Netherlands — apparently long a haven for visitors looking to partake in illegal drugs — is set to ban foreigners from entering the country’s famed cannabis cafes by the end of the year. Interestingly, the proposed ban will not affect locals who will be issued one-year membership cards — so-called “Dope Passes” — that allows them access to the more than 220 specialty coffee shops in Amsterdam and more throughout the country.

Spokesman for the mayor of Maastricht, Joep Delsing, had this to say about the (foreign?) dopeheads in the country: “They block streets in the city centre, they don’t respect parking rules, they are noisy and, when they go from one coffee shop to another, they urinate and vomit in the street.” (Are we still talking about marijuana here?) Many detractors of the law fear that the new law will negatively impact tourism, while supporters hope the new family-friendly image will only benefit the country.

And for three ways to end this post:

1) Lawmakers also hope the law will help curtail the country’s long-standing shortage of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream at local retailers.

2) Rick Steves is set to ban Holland from future PBS episodes.

3) McDonald’s is already planning to pull its Snoop Dogg figurines from Dutch Happy Meals.

[Coffee Shop by Amici Giovedi/Flickr]

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