Global Ganja Report

Cannabis coffeeshops in the Dutch city of Maastricht have agreed to bar French, Italian and Spanish tourists, reserving access to Dutch, German and Belgian nationals—ostensibly to cut back on noise, traffic and other disturbances associated with cannabis tourism. The idea seems to be that tourists from neighboring countries are better behaved and do not bring their cars. "The authorities have signalled that the coffee shops will be shut if the problems do not ease," said Marc Josemans, president of the Maastricht Association of Coffee Shops.

The decision comes amid moves by the Netherlands to establish a "cannabis card" only available to Dutch citizens, and mandatory to enter the country's 670 licensed coffeeshops. The European Court of Justice ruled in December that banning foreigners is justified "by the objective of combating drug tourism and the accompanying public nuisance." (AFP, Aug. 5)

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