Netherlands .. no weed for visitors “anymore”

As part of its campaign to discourage organized crime and reduce drug tourism, which has drawn mixed reactions from residents and business owners, foreigners are facing a ban from hashish cafes in Amsterdam.

With support from police and prosecutors, Amsterdam mayor Vimke Halsema has put forward proposals that only allow Dutch residents to enter cafes that sell marijuana.

This measure is likely to take effect sometime next year, according to the British Guardian newspaper.

And a Dutch government study showed that 58 percent of foreign tourists who visit Amsterdam come mainly for the consumption of shutters, according to Halsema, while another study showed that the city will support less than 70 cafes if the service is provided to locals only.

“Amsterdam is a global city and we want to attract tourists … but for its wealth, beauty and cultural institutions,” the mayor said, adding that the hemp market was very large and had too many links to organized crime.

She added that the city could remain “open, hospitable and tolerant”, but at the same time it would make life more difficult for criminals and reduce mass tourism on low budget.