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Dutch marijuana coffee shops brace for smoking ban


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"This city's famed marijuana bars have weathered many challenges over the years and are still smoking. But now they face an unwelcome blast of fresh air: On July 1, the Netherlands will be one of the last European countries to ban smoking in bars and restaurants in compliance with EU law.

The Health Ministry says the ban will apply to cafes that sell marijuana, known as coffee shops. But this being Holland, which for centuries has experimented with social liberalism, there's a loophole: The ban covers tobacco but not marijuana, which is technically illegal anyway.

But that still leaves coffee shops and their customers in a bind. Dutch and other European marijuana users traditionally smoke pot in fat, cone-shaped joints mixed with tobacco.

"It's the world upside down: In other countries they look for the marijuana in the cigarette. Here they look for the cigarette in the marijuana," said Jason den Enting, manager of coffee shop Dampkring."

By Toby Sterling

Damn right it's upside down. It's our choice, MY CHOICE, to do what I want with my body. Leave us alone!
iknew

22 responses // Dutch marijuana coffee shops brace for smoking ban

  • This is no biggie, all the coffee shops sell non tobacco alternatives if you don't want your joint neat. Tastes better and is non addictive.
    dearmat23
  • Please don't parade the 'choice' argument for big tobacco, they've been using this impropaganda to keep us buying their toxic 'nicotine deliver systems' for years.

    I've got no problem with people smoking but Philip Morris can rot in hell. You don't need to buy their politically sanctioned poison.
    dearmat23
  • I can't even imagine Amsterdam without the coffee shops. I still can't get my head round walking into jazz clubs without massive fogs of smoke blinding my view since the UK ban. It's taking the soul out of social venues ... but that argument doesn't stand up to much in the face of lung cancer, does it?
    mischabarrett
  • its so strange how there cant be "smoking restaurants" or "smoking bars" where you could choose to go to if you enjoy those activities......... or smoking/non smoking sections, not like in planes back in the day, but with proper physical divisions and separated air systems.... just so weird
    when will alcohol become illegal? oh wait, that already happened...
    lfm
    • lfm
    • 2 months ago
  • I never thought I'd see the day that Holland ban smoking ... and Paris already!

    What is the world coming to?
    emmahill
  • That's a tricky one!

    So, they'd be breaking the law, but allowed to get away with it if it was pure pot they were smoking but because they're mixing it with tabacco they'd be prosecuted?

    I guess some clever people have actually looked into this and figure tabacco fumes are more harmful to people that work in bars / cafes than marjiuana smoke.
    mn2brs
  • Well, I think there should also be such thing as a "Smoking Bar" which the consumer or customer is advised they will find smokers. Now, then all bars would want to become "Smoking Bars" but then a strict reason and investigation should be done for these "Smoking Bars".
    petarro
  • Surely not smoking weed in an Amsterdam coffee shop is like going to a bar and not drinking beer...?
    subsequent
  • This isn't a matter of private choice, because this EU law does not address that. It merely sets in place a public health and safety standard for those who don't want to be exposed to toxic cigarette smoke while in a public venue like a bar.
    H3ADLINE
  • It's the end of the world as we know it !
    Purdey
  • C'mon read the post again. The ban is of tobacco not smoking.

    'But this being Holland, which for centuries has experimented with social liberalism, there's a loophole: The ban covers tobacco but not marijuana, which is technically illegal anyway.'

    Smoking tobacco in enclosed public spaces will become illegal as of 1st July 2008. It's not yet clear how this will work. There is talk of special smoking areas being permitted. It's also thought that the ban only applies to tobacco so pure cannabis would be permitted.

    I was there early this month and this is how everyone was thinking of it. And seeing how reasoned the city is I can't see why it should be any different. Might be a good reason to go again next month, for research purposes of course, so I can report back for us all.
    dearmat23
  • Guess they'll have to smoke it straight, like god intended.
    recommended by  jubal
    tatnik
  • people are far to politically correct with all this second hand smoke bull shit if u dont want tobacco smoke all around u eat at ur fucking house
    resin_lungs420
  • If you've been there... let's say I spent a month there one weekend...you know the Bar sits on top of the "coffee shop" so this is a non story.
    Pwdrskir
  • what a great birthday present for me, can't they wait till August. haha
    oreo4sho
  • The reason they're doing it is for health reasons. Such as people with asthma or difficulty breathing in smoke (me). I don't mind if you smoke if you're 50 feet away from me. But, I like the idea of smoking areas and non-smoking areas. They do it at hotels and some restaurants. Everybody gets what they want :)
    anglcazn
  • I can't even put in words..
    cerealforeal
  • leave the weed!!! it gets cold in holland!!!we want to stay inside.
    DELAMOTA
  • http://static.flickr.com/75/225538229_11bb604cca.jpg
    All the pubs will need to make a seperate 'smoking area' where no drinks are served if they still want to allow people to smoke inside doors.

    This is going to ruin some classic pubs that have been around for ages, i'm afraid.

    Also there's talk of festival tents having the ban aswell - that means big music festivals like Lowlands will have to figure out how to stop people light up when they're underneath a tent.
    yonie
  • this is madness... amsterdam without the coffee shops?

    oh silly europe!!!.. the EU was only intended to cover trade between us all.. but now we're told where we can smoke and all the rest.... YAWN!

    allow each country to decide on it's own laws!

    do we want another mindless smear on the map?... look at america for christ sake!

    scrap the E.U!
    lillpaul
  • Just go outside and smoke a damn cigarette. It isnt too hard. Why risk others health or what not for your foolish decisions.
    Brittanyope89
  • about time too.
    top loaded all the way..

    its like the powers at be, have sold there share in the tobacco company's.
    admod

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