Netherlands to close Cannabis outlets to tourists.

OMG Its EoinD

Next will they get rid of the Red Light District ???
















































please don't

msg11

I can see another EU state taking this up too boost tourism. Maybe we should legalise it here and heavily tax it. That would pay off the Debt quick enough and start to clean up the mess of other illegal activity in banks.

Don't see the harm in it. And I don't smoke or smoke cannabis.

donutface

This could have been a great opportunity for Ireland if the politicians werent dead set on keeping the mammys happy and lying to everyone else.

From a tourist perspective you've got great atmosphere in pubs one night followed by great atmosphere in coffee shops the next. What more could you ask for!

Fukuyama

RachaelVO wrote: »

Ah, the delusions caused by cannabis... there is an irony there, but I have the munchies and can't think what that is :cool:

Listen chick. I get that you want my shlong and all but I already have a Boards empress. StupidUserName will not be impressed with you!

Sergeant

msg11 wrote: »

I can see another EU state taking this up too boost tourism. Maybe we should legalise it here and heavily tax it. That would pay off the Debt quick enough and start to clean up the mess of other illegal activity in banks.

Legalising weed will pay off the national debt?! Did you work them sums out on the back of a rizla paper?

The Dutch seem like a grounded and inherently sensible group of people. I'm sure this pull-back was taken following a close look at the economics, legal and social aspects of the decision.

alex73

The operative word on this thread is "Tourist" thats the problem with Amsterdam it was the magnet for the wrong type of Tourist. Full of Drunks and Pot heads (and perverts) Which you get everywhere, but they seem to focus on Amsterdam and Ruin it for others who don't go there for the Sex and Drugs.

Fukuyama

Sergeant wrote: »

Legalising weed will pay off the national debt?! Did you work them sums out on the back of a rizla paper?

The Dutch seem like a grounded and inherently sensible group of people. I'm sure this pull-back was taken following a close look at the economics, legal and social aspects of the decision.

Legalizing weed would save Ireland hundreds of millions per year and earn us even more. It'd be step in the right direction. Make a few more of those kind of steps and the darkest days of this recession could be behind us in a couple of years.

Also. This is just a proposition. They haven't even began to debate it properly yet. It won't get through. There's so many obstacles to it.

Fukuyama

alex73 wrote: »

The operative word on this thread is "Tourist" thats the problem with Amsterdam it was the magnet for the wrong type of Tourist. Full of Drunks and Pot heads (and perverts) Which you get everywhere, but they seem to focus on Amsterdam and Ruin it for others who don't go there for the Sex and Drugs.

I'd support cleaning up Amsterdam (never been first hand). But this move would only serve to ruin it. It'd become the illegal drugs capital of Europe.

Son Of A Vidic

That's the dutch for ya, shooting themselves in the foot financially. But that's 'stoners' for ya I suppose.

DepecheHead101

prinz wrote: »

LOL Reducing criminal behaviour and tourism are two of the primary reasons a lot of heads around here give as great reasons to legalise cannabis in this country. Maybe they could finally learn a lesson from somewhere that has actually tried that experiment.



Who voted for them? Or did they seize power at the point of a gun? I love that perfectly logical line of reasoning that as soon as any democratically elected government anywhere passes a law you don't like they automatically become undemocratic in some people's eyes.

Undemocratic and unpopular in the sense that it is a largely unpopular, unsupported bill both by other state bodies, other parties and the citizens. I'm not questioning how they got into power.

seanbmc wrote: »

And what's with the attitude some people have that if someone smokes weed they immediately label them a stoner. I'm sure the people who generalise like this would not like to be called alcoholics because they drink alcohol.

People who use words like 'stoner' and 'habit' straight away when making posts in threads like these kind of out themselves straight away to the point where you know what you're in for.

Most of them strike me as being instilled with this odd jock mentality that just didn't like dumb stoners and their dumb stoner friends when growing up but have no problem with the drug itself and nothing to really contribute to the debate.

~everyone who smokes weed is a stoner :rolleyes:.

RachaelVO

Dean0088 wrote: »

Listen chick. I get that you want my shlong and all but I already have a Boards empress. StupidUserName will not be impressed with you!

Oops!!!

Probably just as well, it would all end in tears!

RachaelVO

Sergeant wrote: »

Legalising weed will pay off the national debt?! Did you work them sums out on the back of a rizla paper?

The Dutch seem like a grounded and inherently sensible group of people. I'm sure this pull-back was taken following a close look at the economics, legal and social aspects of the decision.

Ya think? I can tell ya first hand, that's a loada cack (no offense n all). They are as big a bunch of fruit cakes as our own!

Mike 1972

No need to panic just yet. The laws in question are still only proposals which (hopefully) may never see the light of day. That said there seems to be a disturbing shift to the right in Dutch politics over the last few years with increasing restrictions on/closures of Coffeshops, along with the scaling back of "windows" and other establishments in the RLD's and the tightening of laws on mushrooms and "headshop" substances.

alex73 wrote: »

The operative word on this thread is "Tourist" thats the problem with Amsterdam it was the magnet for the wrong type of Tourist. Full of Drunks and Pot heads (and perverts) Which you get everywhere, but they seem to focus on Amsterdam and Ruin it for others who don't go there for the Sex and Drugs.

There seems to be an erroneous assumption that people go to Amsterdam break down into two mutually exclusive groups
1) Those who go for drugs and/or hookers
2) Those who go for museums/galleries/sightseeing/culture/shopping/etc

Has it never occurred to anyone that some of us might like to go for 1) AND 2) ?

ScumLord

Im_EoinD wrote: »

Next will they get rid of the Red Light District ???
please don't

Yeah there's nothing wrong with the sex slave industry. It always surprises me that people that are dead set against drugs have no problem with the sex trade.

alex73 wrote: »

The operative word on this thread is "Tourist" thats the problem with Amsterdam it was the magnet for the wrong type of Tourist. Full of Drunks and Pot heads (and perverts) Which you get everywhere, but they seem to focus on Amsterdam and Ruin it for others who don't go there for the Sex and Drugs.

I never noticed any problems with tourists in Amsterdam I would say it's no worse if not better than any Spanish or Irish town where tourists go around drunk. Never once had any problems anywhere in Amsterdam it's not even loud at night. I've hassled walking down the street of Barcelona many times with all kinds of supposedly illegal propositions.

I hope this is overturned. Amsterdam is a lovely city, I like just about everything about the place but more than likely won't be going back if I can't smoke there, it's just another expensive European capitol that I've been to too many times already, I'm certain it will lose a lot of it's flavour once the cannabis crowd can't earn a living there any more.

R P McMurphy

To Prague instead, Amsterdam a nice city but would become a lot less interesting without coffee shops. This was bound to happen there eventually. Will become another dull city

rossie1977

amsterdam has run out of control its a mess, its a cesspool of corruption, crime, everything is out of control, its anarchy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTPsFIsxM3w

Mike 1972

ScumLord wrote: »

Yeah there's nothing wrong with the sex slave industry. It always surprises me that people that are dead set against drugs have no problem with the sex trade.

Sex slavery tends to be a much bigger problem in countries were prostitution is outlawed or heavily restricted which is one of the main reasons it was legalised in the Netherlands in the first place.

ScumLord

Mike 1972 wrote: »

Sex slavery tends to be a much bigger problem in countries were prostitution is outlawed or heavily restricted which is one of the main reasons it was legalised in the Netherlands in the first place.

While the Netherlands have improved safety for the women and their clients (and it is a better system than an illegal one) it's still a sleazy industry that takes advantage of women for the most part.

bc dub

the quality of weed available in Ireland now means amsterdam was a luxury these days, not a necessity

diddley

I can't see them keeping the law banning tourists for very long. It'll probably increase illegal street trading to no end and within six months to a year they'll reverse it!

msg11

Sergeant wrote: »

Legalising weed will pay off the national debt?! Did you work them sums out on the back of a rizla paper?

The Dutch seem like a grounded and inherently sensible group of people. I'm sure this pull-back was taken following a close look at the economics, legal and social aspects of the decision.

Again I don't smoke or smoke cannabis so wouldn't be using rizla. Anyway I don't see the harm of legalising it. Well it's start towards paying it off. They are a sensible group of people, it's the other EU states that are not.

HavingCrack

msg11 wrote: »

Again I don't smoke or smoke cannabis so wouldn't be using rizla. Anyway I don't see the harm of legalising it. Well it's start towards paying it off. They are a sensible group of people, it's the other EU states that are not.

Talk about uninformed generalisations there. Portugese drug laws, including those on cannabis are far laxer than those in the Netherlands. They have also been far more successful in reducing drug addicition and drug related crime than the Dutch. To an extent cannabis is also de facto legal in Spain, the police won't bother you when it is only for personal use. You even see signs saying 'no porros' (spelt something like that) in bars and restaurants which shows how acceptable it is. I really wish people would get rid of this idea that the Netherlands is the only progressive country in the EU.

Badgermonkey

prinz wrote: »

The ironic thing is if they cleaned up parts of Amsterdam and toned down or got rid of the open drug culture I'd return there, and I am sure there are plenty others. Having been there once I swore off returning because of the sheer sleazy nature of the places I ventured around in the city centre, as a tourist I can't remember the amount of times I was openly offered harder drugs (cocaine etc) on the street from passers by. It was like walking down the south quays in Dublin, except all the dodgy characters/druggies were trying to convince you to buy off them.

tbh, sounds as though you didn't venture far from centraal station.

From Damrak eastwards to Nieuwmarkt is the prime area you would likely encounter what you've described, Warmoestraat being a low point.

Less than 10 mins to the west, just off Dam square, you meet the Jordaan district - quirky design shops, bookshops and boutiques, deli's, local bars, restaurants and cafes.

It's a little like someone judging Dublin having walked from Connolly Station to Capel St. with a detour via the boardwalk.

alex73

Dean0088 wrote: »

I'd support cleaning up Amsterdam (never been first hand). But this move would only serve to ruin it. It'd become the illegal drugs capital of Europe.

So like every other city in Europe then. I have had to fly back to Ireland via Amsterdam many times. The flight to Dublin is always full of men back from stags. The big problem amsterdam has is that you also have tourists who will avoid it, esp families with kids.

robby^5

To the people who think this will help clean up the streets of Amsterdam...have you even ever been to Amsterdam?

The problem on the streets there is cocaine and alcohol, I live in a neighboring city so I have plenty of experience of the nightlife there. People getting stoned are usually slumped over a table still in a coffeeshop or their finding their way to fast food. It's a monumental effort to go out and act the lout when you're high, weed is illegal here and Dublin's streets are far more dangerous at night. What does that say?

Anyway, drink will still be legal there so dont expect to see any reduction in the amount of violence, criminal damage, bodily fluids on streets and buildings, the public nuisance of gangs of drunks...etc.

Steodonn

Mike 1972 wrote: »

No need to panic just yet. The laws in question are still only proposals which (hopefully) may never see the light of day. That said there seems to be a disturbing shift to the right in Dutch politics over the last few years with increasing restrictions on/closures of Coffeshops, along with the scaling back of "windows" and other establishments in the RLD's and the tightening of laws on mushrooms and "headshop" substances.



There seems to be an erroneous assumption that people go to Amsterdam break down into two mutually exclusive groups
1) Those who go for drugs and/or hookers
2) Those who go for museums/galleries/sightseeing/culture/shopping/etc

Has it never occurred to anyone that some of us might like to go for 1) AND 2) ?

QFT ( minus the hookers )
Noting like sitting in a gallery slightly stoned appreciating some art. On the flip side I went to Amsterdam for the weed but really did fall in love with the culture of the city. The waterways are a must to see

On the issue on banning tourists it only becomes necessary because of probation in other countries. And I would feel much safer in Amsterdam at night than Dublin which is sad I can feel safer in a foreign capital than my own city

lalee17

Stupid idea. They're going to lose so much money because of this.

Amsterdam may still have the image of drugs to some tourists though, which will only fund scumbag dealers.

Spunge

rossie1977 wrote: »

amsterdam has run out of control its a mess, its a cesspool of corruption, crime, everything is out of control, its anarchy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTPsFIsxM3w

Good ol' fox news

genericguy

FlutterinBantam wrote: »

:eek:

Poster in deep in the dank stuff surely.

Flutt, I smoke weed, and I can comfortably make the assumption that I am more successful and mentally balanced than you. I also earn more money than you, so fook off with your "tax eurons" bollocks. I never raped, attacked or robbed anyone. Nor have i ever been in jail. I have never visited the hospital due to the psychosis that i certainly must have from my years of occasional recreational cannabis use. Your theory is void, your opinions are shíte, and i'd wager very few people on here take notice of your inane drivel, let alone agree with you.

mikom

rossie1977 wrote: »

amsterdam has run out of control its a mess, its a cesspool of corruption, crime, everything is out of control, its anarchy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTPsFIsxM3w

Bill O' Reilly lol.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tJjNVVwRCY

Chill out man.