Netherlands

Aruba frees Venezuelan 'narco-general' wanted in US

Posted on August 4th, 2014 by Global Ganja Report and tagged , , , , , , , .

VenezuelaVenezuela has scored a win in its ongoing diplomatic and propaganda war with Uncle Sam. The most recent flare-up started July 24, when authorities in Aruba arrested Gen. Hugo Carvajal, a top Venezuelan official wanted in the US on drug trafficking charges. Carvajal had been military intelligence chief under the late Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez, and was accused by the US Treasury Department of using his position to protect cocaine shipments for Colombia's FARC guerillas. He had just arrived in Aruba after being appointed Venezuela's consul there—and was promptly detained at Washington's behest. Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro called the detention a "kidnapping," and demanded Carvajal's immediate release. And three days later, a judge on the island found that since Carvajal had a diplomatic passport, his arrest was illegal. He was sprung and quickly made the short flight back to Venezuela. "He's returning free and victorious. It's a triumph for sovereignty and legality," president Maduro said, praising the "bravery" of the Dutch government. (The Guardian, July 28; BBC News, July 27; Maduradas, July 24)

Southern Cone neighbors react to Uruguay legalization

Posted on December 30th, 2013 by Global Ganja Report and tagged , , , , , , , , .

Southern ConePresident José Mujica signed Uruguay's cannabis legalization bill into law on Christmas Eve, and the country's neighbors are preparing for the new policy to take effect—apparently with more trepidation than hope. Mujica is said to have discussed the question with Brazil's center-left President Dilma Rousseff on his visit last month to Brasília. Local media reported that she expressed fears about Uruguayan herb entering Brazil, and announced plans to beef up searches at the border—with plans to impose stiff sentences of 10 years and up for trafficking (including "transnational" personal possession).

Legal battles over Dutch coffee house crackdown

Posted on June 22nd, 2013 by Global Ganja Report and tagged , , , .

EuropeDutch prosecutors are seeking up to one-month suspended prison terms for owners and staff of cannabis cafes in Maastricht for selling pot to foreigners in defiance of the new law. But meanwhile the Netherlands government was ordered to pay damages to owners of cannabis cafes after a court in The Hague said new measures turning the coffee-houses into members-only clubs were too harsh. The amount the state must pay is still to be determined. (The Age, June 13; BBC News, June 5)

Netherlands: farewell to skunk

Posted on November 22nd, 2012 by Global Ganja Report and tagged , , .

EuropeHolland is to ban the sale of high-potency "skunk" cannabis strains in its coffee shops, and is considering whether to classify skunk as a Class A drug with heroin and cocaine. Justice Minister Ivo Opstelten informed the Dutch parliament of the new policy, and asked for the law to be changed "quickly." He said a government study had found that cannabis containing more than 15% THC is so dangerous that it should be reclassed. "Hard drugs have no place in the coffee shops and in the future they will only be able to offer cannabis with a THC level of below 15%," he told MPs. (Daily Telegraph, South Africa, Nov. 22; The Telegraph, UK, Nov. 20)

Dutch court turns down challenge to new law banning "pot tourism"

Posted on April 28th, 2012 by Global Ganja Report and tagged , , , .

EuropeA Dutch court on April 27 upheld a law that will prevent foreigners from buying cannabis in coffee shops, spelling an end to decades of "pot tourism" in the Netherlands. The decision means coffee shops in three southern provinces must stop selling cannabis to foreigners on May 1, when the law takes effect. A so-called "weed pass" is allowed for Dutch citizens and permanent residents. Coffee shops in the southern provinces of Zeeland, North Brabant and Limburg bordering Belgium (see map) will become members-only clubs, allowed to issue up to 2,000 membership cards—known as "weed passes"—to residents over the age of 18.The plan will go nationwide in January 2013.

Dutch cannabis cafe ban set for May

Posted on December 17th, 2011 by Global Ganja Report and tagged , , .

EuropeNew legislation to ban non-Dutch residents from cannabis cafes in the southern Netherlands should be enforced no later than May 1, the Dutch justice ministry said Dec. 16. The law is set to be amended on Jan. 1, but there will be a grace period until May for coffee shops to set up a "new administrative system." The centre-right government of Prime Minister Mark Rutte plans to instate a "cannabis card," reserved for residents only and obligatory when visiting one of the country's 670 licensed coffee shops.

Dutch police demand right to toke

Posted on December 12th, 2011 by Global Ganja Report and tagged , , .

cannabisPolice in Amsterdam are complaining about new rules barring them from smoking cannabis while off duty. Officers in the Dutch capital, famous for its tolerant drug policy, have been told they must set the public "a good moral example." The ban, due to take effect on Jan. 1, will make the force the first in the Netherlands to bar officers from indulging while not at work.

Amsterdam cops stage first-ever raid of Cannabis Cup

Posted on November 29th, 2011 by Global Ganja Report and tagged , , , , .

For the first time in its 24-year history, the annual High Times Cannabis Cup in Amsterdam was raided by police Nov. 23. Some 100 armed and uniformed Dutch police officers entered the Cannabis Cup Expo at the Borchland Sportcentrum venue, occupying the building and separating the hundreds of attendees from exhibitors, who were instructed to remain at their tables. David Holland, event counsel, Tweeted: "Police are ensuring that all vendors are in compliance with the 500 gram limit under the Opium Law for licensed vendors at the venue." Small quantities of cannabis were reportedly confiscated, but no arrests were made. The Cup awards and entertainment proceeded that night as planned at the city's Melkweg club. (Legalization Nation, CelebStoner, Nov. 28; Legalization Nation, Vancouver Sun, Nov. 23)

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