Dutch Coffeeshops Refute Smoking Ban

Smoking Cannabis is Here to Stay

With an expected smoking ban to come into place in Amsterdam by the end of 2008 there is high controversy about pot smoking in Dutch coffee shops. The smoking of cannibis in coffee shops debate has reached parliament with the majority of parliamentarians against the ban and pushing for the exemption for the coffee shops from this smoking ban regulation.

Coffee shops first opened in the 1970's in Amsterdam and have been drawing tourists ever since. Whilst soft drugs are banned in the Netherlands there is a policy of "tolerence" which allows citizens or tourists to carry 5g of cannibis on their person. Government-regulated coffee shops sell cannibis and regularly have stocks of up to 500g in situ. Today, there are more that 700 coffee shops in the Netherlands some which resemble drive-in's, these would automatically not be effected by the new legislation.

Some citizens of the Netherlands are quoting that their "freedom is being breached" with the introduction of the smoking ban and feel that if people want to smoke, then they should be allowed to smoke. Their argument continues "If bar or coffee shop owners do not like people smoking cannabis on the premises
then they should ban it. However, an overall ban is a breach of the rights and freedoms of the people. Of course, there are people who want to ban everything however the bottom line is, just because their morals say it's wrong, doesn't mean your morals should intefere with the lives of others."