Dutch Government to Ban Tourists From Cannabis Shops

[djonkoman]

that's because the information keeps changing.
on the first(of march) there was a debate in the 2nd chamber (in english that would probably be the house of representatives or so)
I watched a part of it, but not all, was long(started at 16.30 I think, dinnerbreak from 7 till 8, no idea how long they contnueed after 8)

a member of groenlinks(a leftwing oppositionparty) held a good speach for decriminilalisation, a member of SGP(christian extremist party) replied with the usual bullshit


as it stands now the decision to implement the weedcard s up to the local governments, since there has to be a certain thing in the local law wich at the moment is only in place in maastricht, so if local governm,ents don't implement that thing the weedcard aso can't be implemented. the sentence given to coffeeshops not aplyig to the law is also up to local governents.
a lot of local governments have already said they don't want the card, amsterdam too ofcourse since it gets amsterdam a lot of ncome from tourists
the coffeeshops in haarlem hed an enquete among their vsitors and only 12% said they would get a weedcard if it was mplemented, the others said they would ether get it from illegl dealers or grow it themselves.
so the coffeeshops n haarlem decided to no matter what don't cooperate with the weedcard, since they will go out of business if they implement it

 

[OhTheAgony]

Well, I guess nothing is final yet.

To my delight the current dutch government has fallen today, which is basically the only thing that could stop this weedpass and the transformation of coffeeshops to private clubs from happening.

It's still to early to tell what will happen now, but at least there's hope again for marijuana lovin' dutchies as well as the tourists!

I'll keep you guys posted and update here as soon as I have some concrete news.

 

[djonkoman]

^what he said, I'm hopefull, the issue this government has fallen from was about the cuts needed to get trough the financial crisis. our government has a deadline from the EU for a certain amount of budgetcuts, so it's possible they'll still make some cuts even tough they're demissionair, but I don't think it's likely they will implement the weedcard now, since that costs money. so likely they'll just leave that issue for the next government, hopefully a more 420friendly one

 

[vorrange]

At least something good can come from the Euro crisis..

Here it Portugal they are cutting left and right.. measures to implement growth not so much..

Politics and Money, making people miserable since the dawn of civilization.

 

[sessnet]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17865151

 

[tepictoton]

hmm
well I can link some Dutch articles but do not really see how that would add to the information(seeing only few will speek Dutch, and those that do wil probably be fed up with this ongoing drama and the bullshit that has been written about it).

The coffeeshops from maastricht have now clearly stated they will not cooperate with the weed pass (hehe only 100applications for the pass have been send in...).

Exciting times...at least things are changing, one way or the other. I guess this could also be seen as a concequence of the Dutch policy ammidts countries that ban it. Then again, if the Dutch government was ever convinced this was the way to go then they would have backed their policy on the international stage as well.

This is al one big joke.

 

[Havelock Vetenari]

Although i'm not exactly unhappy about the turn of events govermentwise atm,there's still little to laugh about IMO.
http://www.rijnmond.nl/nieuws/18-04-2012/dordrecht-voert-wietpas-versneld
This is a link to a local Dutch newssite,where the mayor of Dordrecht is announcing early implantation of the dreaded,incredibly backwards 'wietpas'...
The insanity seems to continue unabated.

 

[Tea Party]

At least something good can come from the Euro crisis

I'd take a working government over pot shops any day... Most of europe is fucked.

 

[OhTheAgony]

Our government wasn't really working at the time they adapted the laws to restrict the pot shops and/or their users. It wouldn't have fallen apart if it were.

 

[WatTyler]

Most of Europe is fucked? I'll take a troubled euro zone economy over Guantanamo bay, the death penalty, and the most atrocious inequality and lack of social care, any time I'm offered. The USA is fucked. I'd rather be poor but in good conscience.

 

[djonkoman]

I'll take a non-working government over the PVV in power any moment

 

[tepictoton]

Hehe, I live in Europe, but find these remarks about EU versus US and or other regions a bit rediculous. Sorry, but to say it with the words of Doug Stanhope: How does your shit make my shit better? hehe

I mean, prohibition sucks, and the other things mentioned suck too. But not one of them makes another one better does it?

 

[Tea Party]

the most atrocious inequality and lack of social care

BWAHAHAHAHA. Maybe you should think about a more profitable career but considering you have "Revolting Peasant" listed in your profile you're more apt to complaining about others success rather than trying to make something of yourself.

"troubled" doesn't even come close to describing the EU economic crisis.

 

[WatTyler]

How does your shit make my shit better? hehe
I mean, prohibition sucks, and the other things mentioned suck too. But not one of them makes another one better does it?

lol , indeed I typed in irritation at the incessant one line inflammatory political quips..... I took the bait.

But I think the 'shit' does make a difference when the 'shit' is of government done in your name and you have to live with/by it. There's lots of shit out there, but which is the worst is very relevant, especially when certain systems are held up as not shit.

BWAHAHAHAHA. Maybe you should think about a more profitable career but considering you have "Revolting Peasant" listed in your profile you're more apt to complaining about others success rather than trying to make something of yourself.

It's clearly over your head. I expect you've heard of the bitch Thatcher (you probably love her). Look up the history of her poll tax and you might understand. Try again when you're educated in the matter and you might make more sense- you're well off base as I'm quite happy with my tax funded salary.

 

[Tea Party]

Thatcher a bitch? wow you have no respect in you do you?

Don't even get me started on a "poll tax" .Why should those who do not contribute deserve a say in how resources are divided?

"Tax funded Salary" ? So all you do is collect handouts taken from tax payers and sit around and smoke pot?

 

[WatTyler]

Thatcher a bitch? wow you have no respect in you do you?

hahaheheheahaha at the notion of respect for Thatcher. Respect is earned and lost, you don't get it just for being a politician or leader. She's an old sow who should be on trial at the Hague for war crime. I'll dance and piss on her grave when it comes. I'll even take a dump and leave the toilet paper littered around. After all my taxes will be paying for it. Which is ironic- really instead her funeral should be privatised; sell off the rights for tickets to take a crap on the grave. It would pay for itself a thousand times over How's that for respect?

http://www.isthatcherdeadyet.co.uk/



It's quite bizarre that Hollywood should choose to try and rewrite her role and impression on history in it's own inimitable way- I can only assume it serves some agenda.

Don't even get me started on a "poll tax" .Why should those who do not contribute deserve a say in how resources are divided?

lol. Poll tax has a wider meaning than your narrow understanding. Like I said, look it up. It wasn't about democracy- it was about liberty. Government put you in prison. Surely even you can see the wrong in that? Mind you, disenfranchising poor people from democracy is a supremely evil suggestion- I've no idea how that can be reconciled with modern democratic principles- so maybe not. I'd be interested in your views on slavery...... (actually, not really)

"Tax funded Salary" ? So all you do is collect handouts taken from tax payers and sit around and smoke pot?

Yes, that's all the public sector does.

 

[vorrange]

wow you have no respect in you do you?

I find it odd that you talk about respect when about 90% of your posts are borderline offensive.

Wattyler answered the rest of your post for me.

And i also take a working government over a pot shop any day, that was not my point neither the issue at hand.

For such an informed successfull person, or so you seem to convey, you have a tendency to misread what people say and read into it more than what was said. Quite admirable i might add, and very convenient when you only try to inflame people. OTOH, almost anyone could do what you do, BUT chooses not to.

And then again, maybe it is the pot. It seems to me, that your bottom line comment to everything is something like: "Potheads.. pff"

 

[Havelock Vetenari]

People,people...
Anybody who holds with the views of the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_Party_movement deserves all the pity and sorrow we can muster.:/
(To make it completely clear,i highly suspect we have among us not so much a troll as these are misunderstood creatures vilified by this internetspeak of course,but more so a Gnoll perhaps? : http/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll_(Discworld)#Gnolls).

On-topic again...
What seems like the last attempt to stop the introduction of the 'wietpas'('weedpass') by 19 coffeeshop-owners has failed.
The courts have rejected their protests sadly(newssite in Dutch). :
http://nos.nl/video/367350-coffeeshophouders-verliezen-kort-geding-wietpas.html

No good news on this front yet again.

 

[OhTheAgony]

For the record, I only 'like' the first part of that ^^ post

I wonder how many of the shops near the border will actually enforce the new policy tomorrow, and what steps will be taken to the ones that don't. Here up north most coffeeshop owners are still really skeptical about the whole private club thing for now, but that could soon change depending on the consequences faced I imagine.

It seems Opstelten's main motivator is the approval of the EU commission on all this nonsense, correct? Will the new elections in September have any effects on this law whatever, or should we assume we're stuck with it when no further action is taken?

 

[OhTheAgony]

Some random news reports from today:

Most coffeeshops in Maastricht didn't open their doors today.

According to the owner of one of the shops this is because they simply have no customers anymore legally, since no one registered for the now private 'club'.

Another shop owner received a warning from the authorities for serving non-dutch customers and for not registering his customers in compliance to the new laws. If he doesn't comply by tomorrow the shop will be closed for a month, which is what the owner wants because he can then take the matter to court. Earlier this morning the same shop refused almost a dozen foreign customers, they went to the police office to file a complaint for being discriminated.

A shop owner from Tilburg reports being fined today for not having a members-list and because there were Belgian customers in his shop. The owner also reports that the police checked the identity of every customer that was in the shops. He to expects to be closed down tomorrow so he can take it to court.

 

[tepictoton]

and some more details,

I am working in Sittard and just went to visit our local shop. It is opened like always and serving everyone Same goes for the shop in Roermond.

Just was on the phone with friend who is in Maastricht and apparently the demonstration against the weedpass (well it's a bit late, but hey thats what you get with stoners hehe) has drawn a big crowd...

It's just so funny...what a waste of energy

 

[OhTheAgony]

I wish I could go over there to demonstrate too, but I am on the complete opposite side of the country unfortunately.

With them in spirit though.

I do hope you're right, but I'm not so sure if it's just a waste of energy. They seem pretty serious about all this crap, I can see this end the coffeeshop-era all together just as well.

I guess it's been a while since we've had a revolution..

 

[tepictoton]

yeah,

the demonstration is not a waste of the time, the implementation of this half baked policy is...

 

[Havelock Vetenari]

Always sad to see smokers and vaporisers come off their asses...just a bit too late...
Anybody else question the grass company in Tilburg's decision to stay open(with 2 shops),when all but 1 of their fellow shops out of 11 closed out of protest?
Even if they didn't agree,comes across as 'scabbing' to me.

 

[tepictoton]

Nah feels bit like same thing they are trying in Maastricht, meaning they want to get this thing to court again...just my