The Amsterdam Herald

Ban on tourists in Dutch cannabis cafes to go ahead

The government’s ‘wietpas’ scheme to ban foreign visitors from cannabis cafes from next week will go ahead after a court threw out a legal challenge.

Owners of ‘coffeeshops’ claimed the measure discriminated against their business and would force them to breach their customers’ privacy.

From May 1 the establishments will become private clubs with a limit of 2,000 members, who must live in the locality of the coffeeshop.

They will have to register for a membership card – the so-called ‘wietpas’ – in order to gain access.

The government says the measure is needed to cut out the problem of drug tourism, which it says has made the Netherlands vulnerable to the cross-border drug trade.

A group of 19 coffeeshop owners, together with several rights organisations, applied las week for an injunction from the court in The Hague to block the introduction of the measure.

After the court turned down the bid today, the group’s lawyer said they would appeal against the decision at the Supreme Court.

An earlier judgment by the Council of State ruled that the wietpas was only applicable in areas where foreign coffeeshop visitors caused a public nuisance.

It came into force on January 1 in the three provinces on the Belgian border -  Zeeland, North Brabant and Limburg. The rest of the country will enforce the measure from May 1.

While the wietpas has been welcomed in cities near the border, such as Maastricht, Breda and Eindhoven, other communities have been more critical. Haarlem has vowed to defy the move altogether.

Source: Wietpas komt er – rechter verwijst bezwaren naar prullenbak

Photo by Jocelyn Aubert

Read previous story: Owners go to court to keep cannabis cafes open to all comers