Weed Purchases by Foreigners to be Banned in Amsterdam

1 year ago

Non-residents looking to purchase marijuana may no longer be able to.

If you are planning to travel to Amsterdam to smoke marijuana in one of their many shops, think again, according to the New York Times.

The Dutch are close to banning purchases of marijuana by foreigners who buy the drug and transport it back to their home countries.

A Dutch judge helped the government's plan clear an important hurdle on Friday, when a court dismissed a lawsuit brought by shop owners challenging the plan on the grounds that it was discriminatory. The court claims the government is justified in their plan due to the crimes associated with people who travel to the Netherlands for marijuana.

“It’s of course disappointing, and of course we’ll appeal,” said Michael Veling, a spokesman for the Cannabis Retailers Association, which represents most coffee shop owners.

The Dutch government would only allow residents to purchase marijuana with a special "weed pass." Under the pass, each shop would be limited to 2,000 customers and required to maintain a register of clients. Sales to non-residents would become illegal. Dutch citizens are already allowed to grow up to five marijuana plants for personal use.

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The law would go into effect on Tuesday in the provinces bordering Germany and Belgium, where the most marijuana trafficking crime has occurred.