Earlier, Maastricht declared war on 'drug tourists'. At the initiative of its authorities, most of the city's coffee shops are relocating practically to the border with Belgium. This will help expel the stream of guests interested only in marijuana from Maastricht itself.
Now the initiative has been taken up by other Dutch cities located near the Belgian border: Roosendaal and Bergen-op-Zoom. According to local authorities, about 25,000 tourists from France and Belgium have arrived in the region recently, most of whom made the trip solely for drugs. This has negatively affected the crime situation in the cities and sparked growth in the market for hard drugs.
In this regard, the city authorities intend to close all eight coffee shops that sell marijuana and its derivatives starting in February next year, reports Lenta.ru. It will take about two years to completely close the establishments. Until all coffee shops are closed, the owners will be required to limit marijuana sales to two grams per person.