Amsterdam mayor proposes banning drug sales to foreign tourists
"Of course, the plan will not be implemented tomorrow; I think it will take about a year," the mayor said. If the city council approves the initiative, the sale of soft drugs will be available only to citizens and permanent residents of the Netherlands.
It is worth noting that the "residency criterion" for the sale of soft drugs has been applied in the rest of the country since 2013. A special exception was made for Amsterdam at that time. Now the mayor wants to reduce the city's appeal as a destination for "drug tourism."
"We would like more people to come who are interested in the beauty of our attractions and the richness of our culture, rather than tourists who only want to consume alcohol and drugs," Halsema noted.
Currently, there are 166 coffee shops operating in Amsterdam. In recent years, their number has been steadily declining. According to authorities' calculations, only 68 coffee shops would be enough to serve the local market.
As Vinegret.cz notes, the Amsterdam city hall has proposed limiting the flow of "drug tourism" more than once before. A previous similar initiative was put forward in February 2020 and came to nothing.