cannabisnews.com: Dutch Cannabis Users Turn to Home Growing 










  Dutch Cannabis Users Turn to Home Growing 

Posted by CN Staff on July 09, 2005 at 08:26:44 PT
By Evalinde Eelens in Amsterdam 
Source: Bloomberg.com  

Amsterdam -- Cannabis users in the Netherlands, home to a $300 million legal industry in the drug, are seeking to save money amid the highest unemployment rate since 1996 by growing their own marijuana instead of buying rolled joints. Dutch authorities license two venues to sell the drug: so called coffee shops, which offer finished cannabis products as well as seating and refreshments for customers, and outlets identified as growing shops, which provide only seeds.
The number of growing shops has risen ``substantially,'' to 318, the department of justice said in a report yesterday, giving no comparable number. Such venues offer as many as 1,400 kinds of marijuana seeds, costing as little as 12.50 euros ($14.93) for 10. At coffee shops such as the Bulldog chain, one joint costs 7 euros. The number of coffee shops fell last year. ``Growing it yourself saves you the trouble of going to the coffee shop, and it's also cheaper,'' said Eman Dekker, a 31-year- old employee at Amsterdam's Interpolm growing shop. Dutch consumer spending on food, tobacco and alcohol dropped 0.7 percent in April, the most recent month for which figures are available. The country's economy recorded its biggest contraction in almost 12 years for the first quarter, and the unemployment rate stands at 6.6 percent. Barney's Breakfast Bar, a coffee shop in Haarlemmerstraat, Amsterdam, is among venues offering more than cannabis to draw customers. Barney's presents food as well as marijuana and hash combinations, including Amnesia High marijuana. Amnesia High won the 2004 Cannabis Cup, for drug of the year. The award is sponsored by the industry's High Times magazine. ``So far, July seems quieter than it usually is,'' said Paul Brett, the son of Derry Brett, who owns Barney's. ``We give the business a lot of love, and that helps.'' Pablow PicassoAnnual revenue in the Dutch cannabis industry is between 211 million euros and 283 million euros, according to the department of justice. There are about 1,200 establishments selling the drug, employing 4,600 people. The number of coffee shops fell 2.3 percent to 737 shops in 2004, from 754 in 2003, the justice department said. Of the 483 Dutch cities, towns and villages, 105 have coffee shops. ``Without coffee shops there would be no Amsterdam,'' said Dafydd Williams, a 39-year-old tourist from Wales smoking a joint at Pablow Picasso, a shop in the city's Jordaan district. The sprawl of coffee shops and growing shops in central Amsterdam is known locally as the Green Light District. Complete Title: Dutch Cannabis Users Turn to Home Growing From Buying Retail Source: Bloomberg.com (Europe)Author: Evalinde Eelens in Amsterdam Published: July 8, 2005Copyright: 2005 Bloomberg L.P. Contact: eeelens bloomberg.netWebsite: http://www.bloomberg.com/Related Articles: Dutch Celebrate 30 Years of Legal Pothttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14861.shtmlDutch Cannabis Cafe Marks 30th Anniversaryhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread14853.shtml

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Comment #20 posted by rchandar on July 15, 2005 at 16:21:51 PT:
b4daylight
no--magic mushrooms are classified in the Netherlands as "smart drugs," they're legal, 100%. In "smartshops."--rchandar
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Comment #19 posted by FoM on July 12, 2005 at 17:57:39 PT
E-Online: Wal-Mart Tweaks Willie's Reggae
By Sarah Hall July 12, 2005No, you're not smoking something--the cover of Willie Nelson's new reggae album comes in two separate versions: regular and Wal-Mart. The cover art of Countryman, released Tuesday, features green marijuana leaves over a red and yellow background and looks similar to a large pack of rolling papers.  
 
 
However, for those looking to snap up the CD at Wal-Mart's famously rolled back prices, the cover features a palm tree in place of the offending leaves, a change made by Universal Music Group Nashville out of deference to the retailing giant's strict guidelines with regards to lyrics and packaging. "They're covering all the bases," Nelson commented to the AP. Nelson's not the first artist to be edited by Wal-Mart. In the past, musicians have been asked to change lyrics in order to be stocked on the retailer's shelves, and Wal-Mart once refused to carry a Sheryl Crow album because it contained a song with lyrics about children killing each other with guns purchased at the store. The retailer also pulled Prodigy's 1997 album, Fat of the Land, from shelves after deeming the lyrics to "Smack My Bitch Up" too offensive by its standards. Despite the toned-down cover art, Wal-Mart shoppers can rest assured that the contents of Countryman remain unaltered. The long-awaited album features reggae versions of Nelson songs including "Darkness on the Face of the Earth" and "One in a Row," as well as covers of Jimmy Cliff's "The Harder They Come" and "Sitting in Limbo." Nelson also teamed with Toots Hibbert of Toots and the Maytals to record "I'm a Worried Man" by Johnny and June Carter Cash. "When he [Cash] found out I was doing a reggae album, he said, 'Hey, I've got a reggae song that I wrote when I lived there,' " Nelson told the AP. "Toots heard it and liked it." Nelson originally started work on the album for Island Records in 1995 with producer Don Was, who's worked with the Rolling Stones and Bonnie Raitt, among other big names. However, after Island founder Chris Blackwell left the company, the album fell to the wayside until a former Island exec landed at Nelson's current label, Lost Highway Records and revived it. The 72-year-old country singer is currently on the road again, appearing with Bob Dylan in small venues across the country. On Sept. 18, Nelson will reunite with fellow Farm Aid founders John Mellencamp and Neil Young in Chicago to mark the benefit concert's 20th anniversary. Dave Matthews Band is also scheduled to appear and other acts will be announced at a later date. Over the years, the concerts have raised more than $27 million to benefit farmers. Tickets for Farm Aid '05 go on sale July 30. Copyright: 2005 E! Entertainment Televisionhttp://www.eonline.com/News/Items/0,1,16920,00.html?tnews
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Comment #18 posted by FoM on July 12, 2005 at 17:03:23 PT
Just a Note on Willie's New Album
It's number 2 in sales rank currently at Amazon.com! Go Willie!
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Comment #17 posted by FoM on July 12, 2005 at 14:58:49 PT

Jose
Please let me know if you find them online. The T-shirt looks really nice. 
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Comment #16 posted by jose melendez on July 12, 2005 at 14:54:26 PT

papers, please
FoM, probably they on e-bay because someone bought it and wanted to resell it. I have not found a source for all the accessories, I particularly would like some countryman t-shirts, but here are some others:http://www.losthighwayrecords.com/willienelson/ http://stores.musictoday.com/store/dept.asp?dept%5Fid=1972&band%5Fid=602&sfid=2
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Comment #15 posted by FoM on July 12, 2005 at 12:13:30 PT

Jose
I've never bought anything except from Amazon.com on line. Why is that stuff available on E-Bay but not on Amazon.com? 
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Comment #14 posted by jose melendez on July 12, 2005 at 11:38:45 PT

certainly!
Absolutely yes, ma'am!I'm demanding the plant!http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=108757&item=7530484926
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Comment #13 posted by FoM on July 12, 2005 at 11:26:19 PT

Jose
Did you get the correct cover art?
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Comment #12 posted by FoM on July 12, 2005 at 11:16:01 PT

Everyone Should Buy Willie's New CD
It really is unique and good. The way they combined the music styles sounds so perfectly natural. 
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Comment #11 posted by FoM on July 12, 2005 at 10:58:56 PT

Jose
I have my head phones on and just got finished listening to a song with Limbo in the title. This is a really good album. I'd support a local music store if we had one so for me Amazon is my local store! LOL! 
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Comment #10 posted by jose melendez on July 12, 2005 at 10:56:25 PT

support local businesses
I bought my copy of Willie Nelson's album 'Countryman' through my local record shop three hours ago.Quite excellent.

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Comment #9 posted by FoM on July 12, 2005 at 10:40:40 PT

Just a Comment
I went ahead and ordered Willie's new CD from Amazon.com. After you buy a CD they allow a person to listen to the CD. It's really cute.
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Comment #8 posted by jose melendez on July 12, 2005 at 09:38:38 PT

sukoi
compare the art work:http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=307&item=4747385148&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=108757&item=7530484926&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW
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Comment #7 posted by FoM on July 12, 2005 at 08:23:13 PT

Sukoi
Yes I read that too. I don't think he would like it very much. I know that the covers of albums (CD) are important to musicians and I don't know how WalMart can do it and I don't know why they are changing it either. The Leaf is symbolic to the style of his new album. What a mixed up crazy world we live in.
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Comment #6 posted by Sukoi on July 12, 2005 at 04:06:35 PT

Willies album cover
I read somewhere yesterday that the cover will be changed to palm leaves instead of cannabis leaves for stores such as Wal Mart. I wonder what Willie thinks about that?
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Comment #5 posted by b4daylight on July 10, 2005 at 21:21:45 PT

 rchandar
I found it to be a nice system in the Netherlands. One thing I would like to see is medicinal mushrooms? That often is overlooked, but is a soft drug in NL.

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Comment #4 posted by rchandar on July 10, 2005 at 00:03:15 PT:

b4daylight
no, they could never really end the current system in good conscience and with the support of their people. Coffeeshops keep the use rate down, and deter street dealing and crime. The Netherlands, in the recent decades, always has been proud of the fact that violent crime and hard drug use is very low in the country. --rchandar
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Comment #3 posted by b4daylight on July 09, 2005 at 17:02:18 PT

Well
This has gone on for +30 years 1974?
and when they started soft drugs, and this was for to curb opium trade?So this will not go anywhere one important thing to remember though. Cannabis would pose major problems with a black market. Like putting nicotine on the black market.There also is much friendler Canada now :)UK I would only imagine when?Portugal?Spain?Jamaica?I forget anyone?
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Comment #2 posted by FoM on July 09, 2005 at 16:55:09 PT

Willie Nelson's Art Work for His New Album!
Go Willie!!!http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0009ML1Q6.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg
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Comment #1 posted by rchandar on July 09, 2005 at 16:02:59 PT:

always timely....
thanks for your article on cannabisshops and growshops. I feel strongly that new elections in 2007 will change things in our favor; the current government, thought it is clearly doing some damage, will not survive with the depressed economy and contrary world-image (Aruba, Iraq, anything).Coffee shops will survive!--rchandar
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