Tourists banned from Dutch coffee shops

[Puggit]

http://news.sky.com/home/uk-news/article/16217800

[thinfourth2]

But under europian law you can't discriminate against other europian nations

Or is that only apply to the UK

[cloggy]

Yep, locals only.

[rhinochopig]

"The restrictions come amid concerns that tourists are visiting the country solely for drugs"

Utter rubbish. How can the Judge be so misguided; there's the Hookers as well

[steviejasp]

Is that not racism?

[Halb]

Good for the Dutch.

The only thing to whinge about here is to ask why the UK's drug laws are so stty that people have to travel to another country to imbibe the weed of their pleasure.

[Puggit]

thinfourth2 said:

But under europian law you can't discriminate against other europian nations

Or is that only apply to the UK

Good point, well made.

[jbi]

steviejasp said:

Is that not racism?

are you talking about the sign above the doorway?

[MX7]

thinfourth2 said:

But under europian law you can't discriminate against other europian nations

Or is that only apply to the UK

The EU doesn't consider cannabis to be legal, and doesn't apply it's regulations to illegal substances.

[davepoth]

MX7 said:

thinfourth2 said:

But under europian law you can't discriminate against other europian nations

Or is that only apply to the UK

The EU doesn't consider cannabis to be legal, and doesn't apply it's regulations to illegal substances.

Source?

These rules ban foreigners from even entering the shops, which I'm sure is a freedom of movement restriction and very much against the rules. I doubt it'll be long before it's challenged.

[anonymous-user]

They do actually serve coffee too! Would this really have a meaningful impact on cross border drugs crime?

[MX7]

davepoth said:

Source?

I don't know. It was something I remember reading when it came up months ago.

Edit:

As the release of narcotic drugs into the economic and commercial channels of the European Union is prohibited, a coffee-shop proprietor cannot rely on the freedoms of movement or the principle of non-discrimination in so far as concerns the marketing of cannabis."

Edited by MX7 on Saturday 28th April 10:51

[Marf]

davepoth said:

MX7 said:

thinfourth2 said:

But under europian law you can't discriminate against other europian nations

Or is that only apply to the UK

The EU doesn't consider cannabis to be legal, and doesn't apply it's regulations to illegal substances.

Source?

These rules ban foreigners from even entering the shops, which I'm sure is a freedom of movement restriction and very much against the rules. I doubt it'll be long before it's challenged.

http://www.eulaws.eu/?p=118

This is the ruling the European Court made when a coffeeshop owner challenged the ban on foreigners entering coffeeshops when it was made law in Maastricht

The Court deems the measure in question suitable, since it prohibits admitting non-residents to coffee-shops which is “capable of substantially limiting drug tourism and, consequently, of reducing the problems it causes”.[25] Moreover, the disputed measure does not go beyond what is necessary in order to attain the above-mentioned objectives.[26] In this regard, other choices such as a restriction on the number of coffee-shops or their opening hours seem to be insufficient and ineffective.[27]In addition to this, Member States are allowed to introduce general rules which are easily managed and supervised by the national authorities in the pursuit of the objective of combating drug tourism and the accompanying public nuisance.[28] Consequently, the disputed measure which restricts the freedom to provide services is justified under the objective of combating drug tourism and the accompanying public nuisance justifies.[29]

If the national ban is challenged in the European court I suspect this will also be the outcome

[sunbeam alpine]

The problem is the same as that of rowdy pubs/clubs anywhere in Europe - noise, violence, lots of traffic incidents late at night. The biggest problem are "drugs tourists" - people who are only travelling to buy drugs for both personal use and to deal, and the area affected is only just over the Dutch/Belgian border.

The Dutch have been cracking down for a couple of years now. I don't think that if you wandered quietly into an Amsterdam coffee shop for a quiet smoke, that you'd have a problem.

[davepoth]

MX7 said:

davepoth said:

Source?

I don't know. It was something I remember reading when it came up months ago.

Edit:

As the release of narcotic drugs into the economic and commercial channels of the European Union is prohibited, a coffee-shop proprietor cannot rely on the freedoms of movement or the principle of non-discrimination in so far as concerns the marketing of cannabis."

Edited by MX7 on Saturday 28th April 10:51

Thanks for that; I certainly wouldn't have expected them to have decided that "nuisance" overrode the ECHR, but each to their own I suppose. I hope the Netherlands is ready for the explosion in illegal dealing that's going to follow this ruling.

[Potatoes]

Booo!

[Shuvi McTupya]

davepoth said:

Thanks for that; I certainly wouldn't have expected them to have decided that "nuisance" overrode the ECHR, but each to their own I suppose. I hope the Netherlands is ready for the explosion in illegal dealing that's going to follow this ruling.

But if it is perfectly legal for a dutch person to buy and use marijuana, why should it be illegal for him to sell it to someone else?

[Pints]

cloggy said:

Yep, locals only.

What if I hold a Dutch passport but don't reside in The Netherlands?

[davepoth]

Shuvi McTupya said:

davepoth said:

Thanks for that; I certainly wouldn't have expected them to have decided that "nuisance" overrode the ECHR, but each to their own I suppose. I hope the Netherlands is ready for the explosion in illegal dealing that's going to follow this ruling.

But if it is perfectly legal for a dutch person to buy and use marijuana, why should it be illegal for him to sell it to someone else?

IIRC it's illegal to supply cannabis outside of the shops.

[cloggy]

Pints said:

cloggy said:

Yep, locals only.

What if I hold a Dutch passport but don't reside in The Netherlands?

You're OK then just like me.
What I understand however is that the coffee shops are going to be classified as 'private clubs' and that you have to be a member.