The Associated Press: Amsterdam fights marijuana crackdown
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) — Amsterdam will fight national efforts to crack down on marijuana cafes — arguing that the city’s establishments are so strictly regulated that it is unnecessary to comply with a government ban on having them near schools.Mayor Job Cohen’s promise to lobby the Justice Ministry to give Amsterdam an exception came after city leaders overwhelmingly voted to challenge the issue. They argue the cafes are already so closely watched they don’t need new rules to keep children away.
The challenge comes only days after a separate national ban on psychedelic mushrooms went into effect. Amsterdam also opposed that move and has so far declined to enforce it.
The Bulldog is one of the cafes in Amsterdam that was threatened under this ban on coffee shops within 250 meters of a school. These coffee shop owners are relentless about IDing the customers who come in because they know an underaged person caught with cannabis or mushrooms in their shop would mean an end to their business. That’s the advantage of a regulated market is that there is incentive for sellers to follow the rules.
