Amsterdam's mayor has asked the city council to consider a new law that would limit the use of coffee shops to local residents. First of all, understand that when we're talking about 'coffee shops' in Amsterdam, we are not talking about the local Starbucks, which would be called a koffiehuis or a café. No, a coffee shop is a place to buy and smoke cannabis. Cannabis is officially illegal in The Netherlands, but the government allows licensed 'coffee shops' to sell amounts up to 5 grams (per person per day). The government also turns a blind eye to individuals possessing amounts up to 5 grams.

So why would the mayor want to limit access? Because the coffee shops attract a lot of tourists, many of whom come for no other reason than to buy and smoke weed. And more tourists is one thing Amsterdam does NOT need. One recent study by the Dutch office for Research, Information, and Statistics bears this out. Tourists between the ages of 18 and 35 see coffee shops as one of the main reasons they come to Amsterdam (57%). When asked what effect not being able to visit a coffee shop would have on their travel plans, 34% of tourists said they would visit the city less often, and 11% said they would not return at all. Among certain nationalities, 44% of British tourists, 45% of French tourists, and a whopping 50% of German tourists said they would not visit the city again. 

Coffee shops exist in towns all over The Netherlands and many have already placed restrictions on sales to non-residents, so this is not a novel idea being proposed. The city's mayor would like to see less tourism around the coffee shops and Red Light District, and more focus on the artistic and cultural heritage.

Tags: Amsterdam, coffee shop