Tomorrow the Dutch people head to the polls to decide whether coffee shops should only sell to local residents. Nate Berg examines the country’s move away from the marijuana industry:
For the past few years, a government plan has been hatching to ban the sales of marijuana and other “soft drugs” to foreign tourists. A court ruling in April paved the way for that ban to move ahead, putting a new system in place that would require locals to obtain a “weed pass” that essentially turns the coffee shops into clubs. It’s already rolled out in southern sections of the country, and could soon move on to the rest of the Netherlands, including tourist hotspot Amsterdam. Opponents of the ban are calling on voters to support politicians and parties in the September 12 election that would overturn the ban. Unless they’re successful, there could be a lot less people visiting the country to enjoy a smoke.
On a somewhat related note, Jimmy Stamp covers the capital city’s attempt to rebrand itself with the slogan, “I AMsterdam”:
Amsterdam is not just about sex, drugs and canals. It’s also a great place to live and work. … Previous city slogans such as “Amsterdam Has It” and “Capital of Sports” and “Small City, Big Business” were either too vague or too focused on one aspect of the city to the detriment of others. “I amsterdam,” however, as has the specific, instantly recognizable quality of Milton Glaser’s famous “I <3 NY logo”, from which it most certainly drew some inspiration. But instead of hearting its city, I amsterdam invites you to become a part of it: I amsterdam and you can be too.
(Photo: A picture taken on October 31, 2011 in Amsterdam shows cannabis seeds displayed in a tourist shop. Incensed by the “nuisance” caused by millions of people crossing its borders each year to visit one of 670 licensed coffee shops, the Netherlands plans to turn these cannabis-vending cafes into private club. The consumption and possession of small amounts of cannabis have been decriminalised since 1976. By Nathalie Magniez/AFP/Getty Images)
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