Netherlands - Dutch Government: Dutch drug policy will end.

[Alfa]

The Dutch policy of tolerating the sale and use of marijuana and hash in small amounts will not exist anymore in 10 years, so has Health Minister Hans Hoogervorst predicted at a drugs congress in Mexico. He expects that the Dutch drugs policy will become increasingly stricter in order to get in line with the rest of Europe.

In the past eight years the softdrugs policy became much stricter already. The amount of coffeeshops declined with 40% and in 80% of the Dutch municipalities coffeeshops disappeared completely.
According to Hoogervorst the image of an extreme tolerant softdrugs policy is no longer a correct refection of nowadays reality.

Source: Nederlands Dagblad
11-01-2007

[Lunar Loops]

Not a great surprise unfortunately. Whenever you see a light at the end of the tunnel, you can guarantee it's the headlights of the prohibitionist juggernaut bearing down on you, rather than some ray of hope.

Why a figure of ten years though?

[Nature Boy]

I think I just puked a little bit in my mouth when I read that. It's an unfortunate situation if Holland sells out its independent stance on such issues just to stay in line with the rest of Europe despite the success that has been achieved with their soft drugs policy. However I feel it may not be so simple a downward spiral as some people predict. I find it very hard to believe that someone could get arrested in Holland in a decade's time for a personal amount of cannabis possession. It should be interesting to see how this pans out. Will all the coffeeshops just close overnight in a few years to come or will people see sense and fight this before it happens?

[Allez]

That's terrible. Good thing I've already got my plane ticket for this summer.

[Riconoen {UGC}]

Great, another sheep to the flock. hopefully in ten years the liberals in holland will get back in power.

[Nature Boy]

If the Dutch decide to criminalise cannabis again surely they must harshen the legal status of the far more harmful alcohol. I'd almost campaign to ban it just to spite those liquid-lipped politicians who love the sauce but saw their toes off if they accidentally inhale marijuana smoke.

[Alfa]

Originally Posted by Nature Boy

If the Dutch decide to criminalise cannabis again surely they must harshen the legal status of the far more harmful alcohol.

That will never happen. Our minister of Jussearchtice is enjoying the pleasures of alcohol more than a bit. Just search the net for a pic of Piet hein donner and check out the mans nose. It says more than his own praises about alcohol in his public speeches.

[Trebor]

Alfa is right!

Look at this man!

[Trebor]

Nate, trying to ban booze in this country will only cuase up roar! You saw whta happend with the restriction on people driving. The companys tried to have a seperate law concerning those in rural areas who otherwise might not be able to make it to their social houses.

[BeetleJuice]

Hypocracy in action,i agree, if anyone wants to ban mj, then its only commen scence that alcohol AND tabbaco be banned, why coz they both kill Millions worldwide yearly, while MJ does nothing. I say, Legalize it all,or ban it all.
Its a damn shame really, one of the last havens for tru freedom is being trampled on.

[Nicaine]

Ten years is a long time... the pendulum could swing in the other direction by then. Seems to me it depends a lot on both government + the power of the tourism industry (?)... correct me if I'm wrong.

Anyway, why not keep a positive attitude . Right now the big thing in Europe seems to be uniting in to a "one Europe" stance, but the notions of national and cultural independence could become more important again in the future.

[Allez]

Just had a glance around. There's murmers of criminalising weed in the Dam every once in a while. Probably to please the rest of Europe. Nothings come of it yet.


God I hate people who say "the Dam".

[Alfa]

Well they seem to claim to be in power for the next decade. Note that Holland is using the same voting boxes from the firm which has sponsored Bush his election campaign.

[Woodman]

That kind of policy would surely affect tourism and tourist-related businesses in Holland.

...and why the hell do the Dutch want THEIR drug policies to " get in line with the rest of Europe," when "the rest of Europe" has NOT been successful in diminishing the inflow or use of drugs, anyway?

I don't see an "up-side" to this.

Certainly, does not appear to be a smart move!

[Nature Boy]

I guess it's just a conservative putting a spin on things in order to paint a pretty picture: "We've been naughty little boys but Grandaddy Europe will teach us to play nice".

No offense to any Dutch people but if Holland did remove their soft drugs tolerance policy, the decline in tourism numbers would probably be a huge shock to the system. I don't think SWIM would travel to Holland to see a few windmills and an everlasting flat landscape. Again, no offense.

[Trebor]

Don't forget clogs.

[Alfa]

They are already closing down 70% of the red light district. The government does not care about tourism and income. It's all christian values now.

[Alicia]

Originally Posted by Alfa

The government does not care about tourism and income. It's all christian values now.

Lol, because with those values the fabulous people will go far, im sure.

[Nature Boy]

Originally Posted by Alfa

They are already closing down 70% of the red light district. The government does not care about tourism and income. It's all christian values now.

What I can't understand is how this actually happened. I was under the impression that Holland was about as secular a nation as one would find in Europe. Any idea of how this all changed?

[Alfa]

Originally Posted by Nature Boy

What I can't understand is how this actually happened. I was under the impression that Holland was about as secular a nation as one would find in Europe. Any idea of how this all changed?

Simple: first the person who democraticly overturned the government was executed, then the thread of terrorism was added and amplefied to such an extent that people tend to choose for right wing security over social matters and privacy. At the same time the stakes are high enough to get anything done.

[Woodman]

Originally Posted by Alfa

Simple: first the person who democraticly overturned the government was executed,...

You don't mean Pim Fortuyn, do you?

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articl...8/ai_n12457554

I wouldn't think so, but if not, then who are you referring to?

[Spare Chaynge]

swim has been to holland several times. swim enjoys the policies in place. swim likes many towns not just amsterdam. swim fell in love with holland his first visit and went to school shortly after his first visit for several months. even with out the policies i would go back and i doubt they will change it besides swim found the best things in holland where out and about

[OccularFantasm]

I'm with nature boy on this one. I am not from the EU, rather the states, but this entire thread sort of baffles me. It had always been my understanding the Holland prided itself on its independence and drug policy. It has always boasted lower rates of both hard and soft drug use, especially among youths. I find it hard to believe, that something that would put more drugs in the hands of children, could happen in that fast of a time frame. No politician could vote yes on this change, not after anyone says 'what about the children, you want to make them all addicts.' This is commonplace here, and I'm guessing politics in EU aren't that stiflingly different.

Also as Zee mentioned, it does seem as though our little tryanical tot George may be pushing his influence around a bit. It is well known the United States tried to push its policies and views on everyone it sees, especially through funding of government programs. This has been applied to issues such as drug policy and abortion. I don't know other tings controlled by that off the top of my head, but it would be ignorant of me to assume those two things were the sole issues addressed. So my guess would be if this does go through, someone high up in the dutch government is taking kickbacks form the U.S. I don't see any other rational explanation for this is it happens. Also lulz, I do happen to also think the US economy is going to collapse. Our economy has never been stable since we stopped using slave labor.Eventually the wealth will get spread too horribly unevenly and there will be a revolution just like happened over and over again in Europe over the ages. The downside tot his can already be seen however. the only thing worth more than money is power. (Although technically American money is worthless. It not longer reflects our gold or any precious metal, and is simply a made up system by this point.) This is why we have seen a swing from liberalism to toltalitarianism in recent years. the United States is already number one for most powerful nation (sorry to sound like a stereotypical American, but ethnocentrism is essential to be an American.). America will not fall until our empire gets too large, much as the British Empire did way back in the day, through excess imperialism. You you try and say America isn't imperialistic, take a look at Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Vietnam, and Cambodia. My estimation for the United States fall is 40-100 years. But either way, I feel politics will be a much greater influcence in its decline than fiscal responsibilities, and once the U.S. can't enforce things by bribery, then force will become the other option.

[Nagognog2]

The Dutch government is using Diebold voting-machines?? You're doomed.

[Alfa]

At least we got rid of even worse machines everyone could fuck with. I want my paper back!