Coffeeshop (Netherlands)
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In the Netherlands, ''coffeeshops'' are establishments where the sale of
cannabis ''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae. The number of species within the genus is disputed. Three species may be recognized: ''Cannabis sativa'', '' C. indica'', and '' C. ruderalis''. Alternatively ...
for personal consumption by the public is tolerated by the local authorities. Under the
drug policy of the Netherlands While recreational use, possession and trade of non-medicinal drugs described by the Opium Law are all technically illegal under Dutch law, official policy since the late 20th century has been to openly tolerate all recreational use while ...
, the sale of cannabis products in small quantities is allowed by licensed ''coffeeshops''. The majority of these also serve drinks and food. ''Coffeeshops'' are not allowed to serve alcohol or other drugs, and risk closure if they are found to be selling soft drugs to minors,
hard drugs Recreational drug use indicates the use of one or more psychoactive drugs to induce an altered state of consciousness either for pleasure or for some other casual purpose or pastime by modifying the perceptions and emotions of the user. When a ...
or selling
alcohol Alcohol most commonly refers to: * Alcohol (chemistry), an organic compound in which a hydroxyl group is bound to a carbon atom * Alcohol (drug), an intoxicant found in alcoholic drinks Alcohol may also refer to: Chemicals * Ethanol, one of sev ...
. The idea of licensing the sale of cannabis was introduced in the 1970s for the explicit purpose of keeping hard and soft drugs separated. A Dutch judge has ruled that tourists can legally be banned from entering cannabis cafes, as part of restrictions that were implemented in 2012. City councils can choose whether to implement this ban or not. This ban is implemented only by a few municipalities in the southern Netherlands. The city council in
Maastricht Maastricht ( , , ; li, Mestreech ; french: Maestricht ; es, Mastrique ) is a city and a municipality in the southeastern Netherlands. It is the capital and largest city of the province of Limburg. Maastricht is located on both sides of the ...
allows tourists to visit coffeeshops, but all except one have made a voluntary agreement to allow only local residents, which are defined as people living within a 150km radius (local people from Belgium and Germany are still allowed). The ban is not enforced in the city of
Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...
and most other parts of the
Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
.


''Coffeeshop'' law

In the Netherlands, the selling of marijuana is "illegal, but not punishable", so the law is not enforced in establishments following these nationwide rules: * No advertising * No hard drug sales on the premises * No sales to anyone under the age of 18 * No sale of quantities greater than five grams * No public disturbances For some offenses, a business may be forced to close for three to six months; for others, the business may be closed permanently. All these rules are detailed in official policies. ''Coffeeshops'' are no longer allowed to sell alcohol. Most ''coffeeshops'' advertise, and the constraint is more moderating than outright prohibitive. In a gesture of discretion still technically required, many ''coffeeshops'' keep the cannabis menu below the counter, even when the cannabis itself is in more-or-less plain view. Dutch ''coffeeshops'' often fly green-yellow-red Ethiopian flags, other symbols of the
Rastafari movement Rastafari, sometimes called Rastafarianism, is a religion that developed in Jamaica during the 1930s. It is classified as both a new religious movement and a social movement by scholars of religion. There is no central authority in control o ...
, or depiction of palm leaves to indicate that they sell cannabis, as a consequence of the official ban on direct advertising. This aesthetic attracts many public artists who may be paid to create murals in the ''coffeeshops'' and use the Rastafari and
reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...
related imagery.


Backdoor policy

There is an ongoing contradiction, as a ''coffeeshop'' is allowed to buy and sell cannabis within the legally tolerated limits, but its suppliers are not allowed to grow or import it, or to sell it to the ''coffeeshop'': "The front door is open, but the backdoor is illegal." There are proposals for remedying this situation (as of January 2006), e.g. by controlled growing of cannabis to replace imports. One proponent of this is
Gerd Leers Gerardus Bernardus Maria "Gerd" Leers (born 12 July 1951) is a Dutch politician of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) party. He is the acting Mayor of Brunssum since 1 January 2018. Biography Politics On 4 September 1990 Leers became a Mem ...
, former Minister for Immigration and Asylum Affairs, who, when in national parliament, was in favour of further criminalisation of cannabis, in keeping with the policies of his party, CDA, which is the strongest opponent of the
drugs policy of the Netherlands While recreational use, possession and trade of non-medicinal drugs described by the Opium Law are all technically illegal under Dutch law, official policy since the late 20th century has been to openly tolerate all recreational use while ...
. When confronted with the practical difficulties when he became mayor (and consequently head of police) he changed his mind and even became the best-known advocate against the illegality at the back door, which takes up a disproportionate amount of time and money for the police, in tracking down (mostly indoor) plantations.


Wiettop

In 2008, the ''Vereniging van Nederlandse Gemeenten'' (VNG, the organisation of Dutch municipalities) organised a ''wiettop'' ("weed summit", a wordplay on the flowery tops that cannabis is made of), attended by 33 Dutch mayors from both big and small municipalities and various political parties. Reasons for the summit were drugs tourism in border regions (the mayors of
Roosendaal Roosendaal () is both a city and a Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the southern Netherlands, in the province of North Brabant. Towns/villages of the municipality * Roosendaal (population: 66,760) * Wouw (4,920) * Heerle (1, ...
and
Bergen op Zoom Bergen op Zoom (; called ''Berrege'' in the local dialect) is a municipality and a city located in the south of the Netherlands. Etymology The city was built on a place where two types of soil meet: sandy soil and marine clay. The sandy soil p ...
had just announced an intention to close all ''coffeeshops''), the strong link with illegality (including laundering of money through ''coffeeshops'') and the discrepancies between the policies of the various municipalities. At this wiettop, all mayors agreed that regulation of the 'backdoor' was desirable.
Rob van Gijzel Rob van Gijzel (born 29 June 1954 in Eindhoven) is a Dutch politician. He is a former MP and was mayor of Eindhoven between 8 April 2008 and 13 September 2016. When Van Gijzel was a student, he became an active member of the Jonge Socialist ...
, mayor of
Eindhoven Eindhoven () is a city and municipality in the Netherlands, located in the southern province of North Brabant of which it is its largest. With a population of 238,326 on 1 January 2022,NRC Handelsblad ''NRC'', previously called ''NRC Handelsblad'' (), is a daily morning newspaper published in the Netherlands by NRC Media. It is generally accepted as a newspaper of record in the Netherlands. History ''NRC Handelsblad'' was first published on 1 ...
'' at the time of the wiettop (with a 60% response) 80% of the mayors were in favour of 'regulating the backdoor' (i.e. making it legal). However, only 18% were in favour of making the market for soft drugs completely free. 22% were in favour of reducing the number of ''coffeeshops'' and 10% want to close them all. Strikingly, this has little to do with the view of their political party, from which NRC Handelsblad concludes it is based on practical considerations, rather than ideological.


Required distance from schools

In 2008, the Dutch government decided that ''coffeeshops'' would no longer be allowed within a radius of 250 m of schools. In
Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...
, this means the closing of 43 more ''coffeeshops'' (in preceding years the number had already been reduced from 350 to 228). Mayor
Job Cohen Marius Job Cohen (; born 18 October 1947) is a retired Dutch politician and jurist who served as Mayor of Amsterdam from 2001 to 2010 and Leader of the Labour Party (PvdA) from 2010 to 2012. Cohen studied Law at the University of Groningen obt ...
had preferred no change but complied reluctantly. He pointed out that ''coffeeshops'' are already not allowed to sell to customers aged under 18, so the policy would not have much effect. Toward the end of 2013, Amsterdam mayor Eberhard van der Laan said that in 2014, some of the ''coffeeshops'' near schools will be forced to close. There was some discussion on whether they will have to completely close or only during school hours, being able to conduct business after 18:00 and on weekends, should this become law.


Drug tourism

Each municipality has a ''coffeeshop'' policy. Some do not allow any; most of these municipalities are either controlled by strict
Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...
parties, or are bordering Belgium and Germany and do not wish to receive "
drug tourism Recreational drug tourism is travel for the purpose of obtaining or using drugs for recreational use that are unavailable, illegal or very expensive in one's home jurisdiction. A drug tourist may cross a national border to obtain a drug that is not ...
" from those countries. A 19 March 2005 article in the Observer noted that the number of Dutch cannabis ''coffeeshops'' had dropped from 1,500 to 750 over the previous five years, largely due to pressure from the conservative coalition government. The "no-growth" policies of many Dutch cities affect new licensing. This policy slowly reduces the number of ''coffeeshops'', since no one can open a new one after a closure. Most municipalities have designated a certain zone (e.g. around schools and high schools) where ''coffeeshops'' are not allowed, which may be from a hundred metres to several kilometres. The municipality of
Terneuzen Terneuzen () is a city and municipality in the southwestern Netherlands, in the province of Zeeland, in the middle of Zeelandic Flanders. With almost 55,000 inhabitants, it is the most populous municipality of Zeeland. History First mentione ...
has put up road signs showing the way to the ''coffeeshops'' and decided to restrict local by-laws for cannabis from May 2009. In
Maastricht Maastricht ( , , ; li, Mestreech ; french: Maestricht ; es, Mastrique ) is a city and a municipality in the southeastern Netherlands. It is the capital and largest city of the province of Limburg. Maastricht is located on both sides of the ...
the ''coffeeshops'' are forbidden for foreign tourists. A controversial measure to introduce a ''wietpas'' (Dutch) or "weed-pass" membership system — pushed primarily by Christian political parties within the Dutch coalition government – has been proposed; this pass would restrict ''coffeeshop'' cannabis sales to residents of the Netherlands with a membership card only. The ban for foreign tourists started in three southern provinces on 1 May, and is due to go nationwide by the end of 2012. Despite strong protests from ''coffeeshop'' owners, a judge in the Netherlands has upheld a new law to ban foreign tourists from entering cannabis cafes. Lawyers representing the ''coffeeshop'' owners have promised to appeal the ruling, and protests are continuing. Municipalities do have some form of control, for example ''coffeeshops'' in the city of Amsterdam still sell to foreigners without any discrimination or extra demands/limitations.


Smoking on the premises

Smoking joints has been common in cannabis ''coffeeshops''. Since 1 July 2008, there is a tobacco smoking ban in the Netherlands which prohibits smoking tobacco in all hotels, restaurants, and cafés. Therefore, it is now illegal to smoke joints containing tobacco in ''coffeeshops''. Although bongs and pure cannabis joints can still be smoked inside the premises, smoking cigarettes or joints containing tobacco is allowed only in a separate smoking room. Most ''coffeeshops'' still sell mixed joints/spliffs, i.e. those with tobacco mixed with cannabis, and have made customers smoke in upstairs or downstairs rooms. Unlike Barcelona where you have to request a membership to join a private coffeeshop, in Amsterdam anyone can go directly to a ''coffeeshop'' and buy cannabis.


Notable coffeeshops

* Checkpoint coffeeshop *
Mellow Yellow coffeeshop Mellow Yellow was the oldest cannabis coffeeshop in Amsterdam. It was squatted in 1972 then moved to a new building in 1978. It was forced to close at the start of 2017. History The cannabis coffeeshop was founded in 1972 by the hippie Wernar ...
*
The Bulldog The Bulldog is an Amsterdam-based company that owns and operates a chain of cannabis coffee shops, hotels, cafés and brand stores located at Amsterdam and Canada. The Bulldog has its own merchandising brand consisting of clothing, souveni ...


See also

*
Cannabis in the Netherlands Cannabis in the Netherlands is illegal, but is decriminalised for personal use. Recreational consumption of the drug is tolerated, and it is available in coffeeshops. Prohibition Cannabis was first criminalised in the Netherlands in 1953, follo ...
*
Legality of cannabis The legality of cannabis for Medical cannabis, medical and Recreational drug use, recreational use varies by country, in terms of its possession, distribution, and cultivation, and (in regards to medical) how it can be consumed and what medi ...
*
Smartshop A smart shop (or smartshop) is a retail establishment that specializes in the sale of psychoactive substances, usually including psychedelics, as well as related literature and paraphernalia. The name derives from the name " smart drugs", a clas ...
*
Marijuana dispensary A cannabis shop, cannabis dispensary, or cannabis cooperative, is a location at which cannabis is sold for recreational or medical use. In the Netherlands these are called coffeeshops. In the United States they exist as an outlet for both recr ...


References


External links

{{Commonscat, Cannabis coffee shops in the Netherlands
A map of all open coffeeshops in central Amsterdam

A map of most of the coffeeshops in Amsterdam
Cannabis smoking Cannabis culture Cannabis law Types of coffeehouses and cafés Society of the Netherlands Cannabis in the Netherlands Recreational drug tourism