cannabisnews.com: Cannabis THC-Content Faces Restrictions Cannabis THC-Content Faces Restrictions Posted by CN Staff on June 06, 2003 at 21:53:16 PT Expatica News Source: Expatica.com Amsterdam — The strength of the Dutch cannabis crop is under review, as the Justice Ministry considers regulating the active THC content of the marijuana sold to smokers. The government is concerned about the strength of Dutch marijuana, revealing that marijuana grown in the Netherlands is twice as strong as that of imported crops. In a bid to restrict the health damages that are incurred, the Justice Ministry has suggested limiting the THC content and maintaining strict supervision of the industry. Former Health Minister Els Borst — who was recently named non-cigarette smoker of the year by non-smoking group Clean Air Now for her role in passing tough anti-smoking legislation — also considered introducing a ceiling on THC content if evidence revealed that high levels of THC were damaging to a smoker's health. Health State Secretary Clemence Ross warned in March that smoking or ingesting marijuana with a high THC content could lead to angst and panic attacks. The Justice Ministry is also investigating whether restrictions can be placed on coffee shop marijuana sales to foreigners, a move which could help appease the concerns of neighbouring countries opposed to the Dutch tolerance of soft drugs. But the ministry also said it would remain committed to convincing its foreign neighbours that cannabis presented fewer risks than hard drugs, but to do so, it said some restrictions must be placed on cannabis sold here. Meanwhile, the Dutch coffee shop also faces a threat from a new smoke-free workplace law set to be enforced from the start of next year. The law states that workers have the right to a smoke-free job environment and coffee shops are excluded from a 12-month grace recently granted on restaurants, cafes and hotels. The nation's coffee shops, by the very nature of their business, will find it difficult to meet the legislative requirements. Source: Expatica.com (Holland)Published: June 05, 2003 Copyright: 2003 Expatica News Contact: feedback expatica.comWebsite: http://www.expatica.com/index.aspRelated Articles:Dutch Ban on Smoking Hits Pot Businesseshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread16428.shtmlMarijuana Now Legal in Dutch Pharmacieshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread15747.shtmlDutch Could Teach Us A Lot About Marijuana http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14974.shtmlDutch Celebrate 30 Years of Legal Pot http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14861.shtml Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help Comment #8 posted by afterburner on June 10, 2003 at 10:23:41 PT: The Whole Truth? Health State Secretary Clemence Ross warned in March that smoking or ingesting marijuana with a high THC content could lead to angst and panic attacks. Apparently, Health State Secretary Clemence Ross has not read the July 31, 2002, report on the study in Nature that showed the opposite. Just how up-to-date does a Health Minister need to be to speak with authority?Natural molecules that act like the primary active ingredient in marijuana apparently play a key part in helping the brain wipe away fearful memories, perhaps averting undue anxiety and panic attacks, researchers report. The discovery, detailed in the British journal Nature, could lead to the development of psychiatric drugs for the treatment of such fear-based conditions as phobias and post-traumatic stress disorder, they said. -Pot-Like Chemical Helps Beat Fear http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread13596.shtml ego transcendence follows ego destruction when science and the courts promote the TRUTH, the WHOLE TRUTH, and NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH. [ Post Comment ] Comment #7 posted by rchandar on June 09, 2003 at 08:40:38 PT: restrictions on THC content/foreigners i think we should be thinking in terms of protesting this and lobbying the people in the government who are apparently for legalization--the partners, the VVD and D66.it looks like this government will try and come up with something new to scare us every few months. it's good we have this search engine, let's make it work. --fqih. [ Post Comment ] Comment #6 posted by b4daylight on June 07, 2003 at 18:28:58 PT: this is sad This is How goverment forgets. One if you restrict the amount of thc. It will go underground. Two Dutch residents can grow there own. So by restricting it too just Dutch residents then inturn would loose alot of Tourism. And Dutch residents will not go visit the shop(anti-smoking law) and thus loosing more money. So Their theroy would disolve the industry. Wrong it just will go underground imagine that. Kindof like Tabacco in the US. We made something cheap now expensive, and They are making cannabis more cumbersome and less social from a normal practice. When the right entered NL I knew this would happen. I have been there it was a liberal hip place. I am wondering how these laws affect the people. You also notice they chip away at the law. Not attacking it at first but slowly watering down the law. Fear not though The seeds have been planted and I am sure it will not deter the Dutch residents. [ Post Comment ] Comment #5 posted by charmed quark on June 07, 2003 at 14:04:37 PT Maybe they should masure and label it In California, some of the medical marijuana is tested and then labeled as to is cannabinoid content. Very useful to know how much THC,CBD, etc. is in it, especially for medical uses. Maybe the Dutch could do the same. Then a user would know to use less of the high THC cannabis. Or the coffee house could simply tell people which varieties are extra strong.-Pete [ Post Comment ] Comment #4 posted by Thomas on June 07, 2003 at 07:34:34 PT Angst and Panic Attack High THC could lead to angst? Oh, the horrors. . . As we all know, angst is a much greater danger than say cirosis or lung cancer. Better crack down on pot. [ Post Comment ] Comment #3 posted by JR Bob Dobbs on June 07, 2003 at 03:09:33 PT LTE Sirs, If the Dutch government lowers the amount of THC in the coffee-shop cannabis, won't that just mean that Dutch smokers will have to smoke more to gain the desired effect? If their goal is less smoking, why don't they work on raising the THC level instead, so smokers will need less to reach the same heights? [ Post Comment ] Comment #2 posted by SoberStoner on June 06, 2003 at 23:48:08 PT Uhh..hello... If you limit the THC content to a lower amount, people will consume more of it to get the same effect, causing the person more exposure to possibly harmful side effects of cannabis use. Which, if you take the assumption that cannabis is harmful as truthful, means that YOU are causing people to have health problems from cannabis, since you are making them smoke more. And this is compounded over a longer period as the quantity consumed would be much greater over years of usage if you force people to use less potent cannabis.DumbassesSS [ Post Comment ] Comment #1 posted by FoM on June 06, 2003 at 22:32:08 PT News Article from News24.com - Africa Dagga Sales To Go Dutch?Published: June 06, 2003The Hague - The Dutch ministry of Justice is studying ways to limit so called "soft drug tourism" that brings thousands of foreigners to the country to buy cannabis, which is partly legalised in the Netherlands. "To limit foreign demand one of the options to be studied is restricting the sale of cannabis in coffeeshops to Dutch residents," said a document published on Thursday by the justice ministry, summarising orientations of the recently-installed centre-right government. In the Netherlands the sale and use of cannabis has been allowed, under strict conditions, since the 1970s. Only authorised bars, called coffeeshops, are allowed to sell cannabis, marijuana and hashish but no more than five grams (a fifth of an ounce) per person. The possession of cannabis for personal use, no more than 30g, is legal. The ministry remarks there has been "a growing irritation in neighbouring countries over soft drug tourism to the Netherlands and the export of small amounts of such soft drugs back to those countries". In response to mounting international pressure on the Dutch drug policy the justice ministry is looking at various ways to discourage this particular form of tourism. There are plans to work together with countries such as Germany, Belgium and France to act against potential foreign cannabis buyers. The ministry is also considering regulating the amount of THC, the active substance in cannabis, so that the famed "Nederwiet" - Dutch homegrown weed - becomes less potent. Tests by the Dutch Trimbos institute for drug research have show that Nederwiet, also called "Skunk", has an average THC percentage of 8.6 while cannabis grown abroad only contains five percent THC. Despite the plans for tougher regulations for foreigners the Netherlands are not backing down on their tolerance of cannabis use. "For the Netherlands it is considered important to maintain the soft drug policies regarding coffeeshops," the ministry document states. - Sapa-AFP http://www.news24.com/News24/World/News/0,,2-10-1462_1369967,00.html News24.com [ Post Comment ] Post Comment