Amsterdam tries to ban foreigners from visiting coffeeshops

Dutch city tries to curb drug-related crime

Amsterdam is considering banning “cannabis tourists” from its famous coffeeshops. Fed up with stoned visitors and worried about drug-related crime, the mayor of Amsterdam wants to clean up the city. But will it work?

The mayor of Amsterdam, Femke Halsema, who has the final say in matters of law and order, wants to temporarily ban non-residents from visiting coffeeshops.

Despite the fact that Wednesday’s councilors vote failed to reach a majority for the ban, Halsema is not giving up, according to The Guardian. In her opinion, as well as the opinion of local heads of police and prosecutors, a ban on tourists from coffeeshops is inevitable in order to reduce the size of the soft drugs sector, solve the problems of tourists and fight drug-related crime.

A recent study found that 100 of the 166 coffee shops in the main Dutch city actually serve only tourists. Now that the coronavirus travel measures have been lifted, the red-light district is still bustling and pressure is mounting for people looking to take a “moral vacation” to travel elsewhere.

In April, in a 13-page political proposal, the mayor of Amsterdam sought support from the city council to temporarily enact the law for Dutch residents only, largely over fears of “criminal backdoors” in coffeeshops. Smoking and possession of “weed” for personal consumption is “tolerated”, but commercial cultivation is not, so coffeeshops must buy drugs from criminals, writes The Guardian. An influential 2019 report on the “dark side” of Amsterdam life suggested revisiting the local-only rule to help deal with the “urban jungle”.

Some parties agree, including the centre-right People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy, which proposed a ban two years ago. “This is one of the few knobs we can turn on locally to curb major downtown troubles and correct our drinking and drug image,” local party leader Claire Martens told the Observer. “Amsterdam is too beautiful for that, and its people deserve better. Bachelor parties and European tourists who come here by car to smoke weed, sleep in their car and make noise add no value to the city.”

Els Yping, who is part of the Stop de Gekte (“stop the madness”) and Wallenwacht residents group, which reminds misbehaving tourists that families live there, said locals believe there is a need for tighter controls on brothels, alcohol serving times and coffeeshop operations. “Dealers come for the tourists, tourists come for the coffeeshops,” she told the Observer. “We say break this circle!”