Amsterdam is known for many things such as its lovely canals, architecture, history, culture, etc., but many people revere it for another famous (or perhaps infamous) reason: Cannabis culture. Patrons may purchase and consume small amounts (up to five grams) in designated locations referred to as “coffeeshops.”
Each proprietor must display a license in a visible spot, usually the front window, and this green and white sticker means that they are allowed to sell Cannabis and hash to patrons over the age of 18.
This is just one of the rules that shops must abide. Back in 1996 a set of six guidelines was enacted in order to create some sort of standard for shop owners in different parts of the country. The age limit stems from research suggesting that children under 18 should not use drugs, any drugs, as the brain is not yet fully formed. Other rules are pretty self-explanatory, such as preventing trouble in the neighbourhood and disruption to the local community. Some restrictions, however, don’t make much sense to locals or members of the Cannabis industry. Recently alcohol was banned from Amsterdam coffeeshops, but not in the rest of the country, leading to revenue loss throughout the city. Some of the older restrictions make just as little sense, such as the ban on Coffeeshop advertisements or the 500 gram capacity limit.
The inability for businesses to promote themselves seems a bit ridiculous, considering the Netherlands’ Cannabis-friendly reputation around the world. This includes a prohibition of both artwork pertaining to Cannabis leaves or drug use and also the word ‘Coffeeshop’ on store merchandise; keeping the menu from public view, and more.
The police raids are a point of contention, as no other business in the Netherlands is subject to random searches.
Concerning capacity half a kilo may sound like a large quantity, but remember that a Coffeeshop in a busy part of town may be forced to re-stock several times a day in peak season, leading to more trafficking of the substance, putting the carriers at risk. Patrons may purchase and possess small amounts but the guys on scooters replenishing Coffeeshop stocks are not really safe until they and their heavy cargo are back inside the shop Other guidelines, however, are understandable, such as the zero tolerance policy regarding hard drugs. It is not only illegal but also disrespectful to the establishment to carry hard drugs inside, as their license could be jeopardised. Some shops are fitted with CCTV to make sure that the customers, staff, and other visitors are behaving themselves, plus this presents a record of exactly who did what in the event of a police raid.
The police raids are a point of contention, as no other business in the Netherlands is subject to random searches. The cops first close the place down, and then the tax police and employment officials begin investigating the location.
Sometimes customers are ordered to leave, and yet others they are required to stay and show ID (but are not usually searched) while the police check the shop’s books to see if the drug numbers match and look for hidden stashes. Often the focus is on whether the employees are legal and taxes are being paid; also, the cops may try to coax the whereabouts and origin of the stash for that particu- lar shop out of its employees
For the most part police raids are more surprising than they are scary, although for many pot smokers any police presence will cause some nervousness. As long as the shop owner has been vigilant and kept good records, the raid may be over in an hour or two. From a business perspective, it doesn’t matter how well things progress with the raid: having large num- bers of cops swarming the premises is usually off-putting to potential customers.
This ‘tolerant’ approach leads to problems such as Coffeeshop owners being refused loans in public banks, and more.
Owning a Coffeeshop is a com- plicated endeavour. No matter how honest and open the proprietor is with the police and local community, they are still looked upon somewhat as criminals due to the issue that the product in which they deal is in fact illegal under United Nations mandate. This ‘tolerant’ approach leads to problems such as Coffeeshop owners being refused loans in public banks, and more.
The Dutch Cannabis scene, like the Netherlands itself, is built upon a shaky foundation. Still, other countries are slowly becoming more progressive in terms of medical and recreational Cannabis. We shall, however, have to wait and see if Dutch-style coffeeshops start popping up abroad!
