Cannabis cafes set to become private clubs, no entry for tourists

Dutch government said Friday that it will ban tourists from buying marijuana from the Netherlands' famed "coffee shops."

Under the new rules spearheaded by far-right political leaders, only Dutch citizens will be able to enter the stores, and they too will face tougher restrictions.

Resident patrons will be required to sign up for a one-year membership, and each shop will have a maximum of 1,500 members, according to a justice ministry spokesman.

Critics argue the move, which should be enacted by the end of the year, could pulverize tourism.

The Netherlands – particularly Amsterdam, which is home to 220 coffee shops -- is known for having one of Europe's most lenient soft drug policies. The country's cannabis cafes have become popular attractions.

There are also fears that the move will result in a black market for the drugs.

Ministers say they expect the closure of coffee shops to tourists will lead to a reduction in drugs-related tourism. Nevertheless, ‘adequate measures’ will be taken by police and officials to make sure the move does not lead to an increase in street dealing.

Amsterdam city council continues to oppose the introduction of the membership card. ’We are concerned about the problems that will arise from large-scale street dealing,’ said a spokesman for Eberhard van der Laan.

‘There are also health concerns, because with street dealing we cannot monitor the quality of the soft drugs or the age of the buyers.

Illegal growing industry is thought to be worth some €2bn a year. According to the Telegraaf, some 40,000 people are involved in marijuana cultivation and some 5,000 plantations are busted every year.

The crack-down on coffee shops follows the recommendations of a government commission in 2009 which said jashish and marijuana contain far more active ingredients than they did when the policy of turning a blind eye to their use was introduced in the 1970s.

At the same time, the bigger the coffee shops get, the more likely they are to be in the hands of organised crime. To that end, the commission recommended cafes become smaller and should only sell to locals.

Maastricht has already closed its coffee shops to tourists because of the nuisance while the border towns of Roosendaal and Bergen op Zoom have got rid of coffee shops altogether.

The concept of coffee shops was introduced in the 1970s to separate hard and soft drugs. The country’s 500 or so coffee shops are permitted to stock up to 500 grams of soft drugs while users can have up to five grammes for personal use.

Last July, a senior European legal official said the Netherlands was within its rights to ban tourists from coffee shops.

Advocate general Yves Bot said he considers the move necessary to protect public order and reduce the nuisance caused by drugs tourism. In addition, the ban would contribute to European efforts to combat the illegal drugs trade, Bot said.

The Netherlands highest court, the Council of State, has asked the European court to determine if the Maastricht ban conflicts with EU laws.

The Dutch court is currently hearing an appeal by a local cafe owner who was forced to close in 2006 after two non-Dutch nationals were found on his premises.