cannabisnews.com: Dutch Benefit From Relaxed Rules on Cannabis 





Dutch Benefit From Relaxed Rules on Cannabis 
Posted by CN Staff on February 10, 2007 at 06:48:09 PT
By Kerstin Schweighöfer
Source: Deutsche Welle
Amsterdam -- The Netherlands are reaping rewards from their liberal attitude toward marijuana and hashish consumption in the country's coffee shops. The Dutch are relatively immune to the lure of hard drugs."We have lots of young customers who travel via Interrail Pass," said Steve, a coffee shop owner in the Dutch capital Amsterdam. "Sometimes they haven't gotten enough sleep and haven't had enough to eat. If they then smoke a joint or have a space cake (a hash cookie), they might get nauseous. But that's it."
Coffee shops are legal grey areas in the Netherlands. Technically the consumption of soft drugs is still against the law there. But marijuana and hashish usage are tolerated as long as the coffee shops don't admit minors, agree to prevent the sale of hard drugs and don't get on their neighbors' nerves. Cannabis Instead of Crack Dutch drugs expert Gijs van Brussel said the tolerance policy keeps pot smokers away from harder, more addictive substances. "Hashish is the first drug people experiment with," van Brussel said. "When people turn 18 and enter late puberty, it's sex and drugs and rock'n'roll."People at that age are unlikely to listen to warnings from their parents, he added."Their first drug is cannabis," he said. "If they then come into contact with heroin or cocaine, the chance is greater that they'll experiment with those drugs as well."The Netherlands make a clear distinction between hard and soft drugs, and the number of Dutch addicts has remained constant at around 25,000. Holland has around 42 drug-related deaths annually -- relatively few compared with other EU countries.The Dutch view addicts as medical, not criminal cases. Those addicted to harder drugs are treated in the Dutch health-care system and have access to free needle replacement and methadone programs. The Grass is Greener on the Other SideAnd the availability of cannabis has not turned the Dutch into a country of befuddled stoners, either. Far greater amounts of soft drugs are consumed in England and France -- perhaps because the illicit thrill of lighting up a joint is gone, when it's more-or-less legal.But the Netherlands' liberal policy has created some problems on along its borders with Belgium and Germany. Hordes of foreign tourists descend on Dutch border towns every day in search of a bag of Acapulco Gold or Panama Red.Despite German and Belgian protests, the mayor of the town of Venlo allowed a drive-through coffee shop to open on the first highway exit. Local governments in other cities like Maastricht would like to follow suit but have held off -- for fear of getting on their neighbors' nerves.Source: Deutsche Welle (Germany)Author: Kerstin SchweighöferPublished: February 10, 2007Copyright: 2007 Deutsche Welle Contact: info dw-world.deWebsite: http://www.dw-world.de/CannabisNews -- Cannabis Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/cannabis.shtml
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Comment #5 posted by ekim on February 11, 2007 at 21:32:45 PT
sorry Howard
news letter from Howard Wooldridgewww.leap.cc/
http://www.blog.leap.cc/
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Comment #4 posted by ekim on February 11, 2007 at 21:30:24 PT
what a great 49th grammy 
 St. Elsewhere 
Gnarls Barkley 
man that was CRAZY------------how about those dixy chicks back to the newsSent: Sunday, February 11, 2007 9:22 PM
Subject: Newsletter Februray 9, 2007NEWSLETTER: FEBRUARY 9, 2007: Fun Surprise of the Week: Wearing my LEAP T-shirt, I visited the DEA museum near the Pentagon this week. I approached a clerk who was selling DEA trinkets. Before I could ask him where I could get some brochures I was looking for (I only use government booklets and brochures from the DEA as corroborating info.), he exclaimed, “I think your t-shirt is neat!” I replied, “Thank you. A lot of us are tired of chasing Willie Nelson and Rush Limbaugh.”  No, he was not an agent just a young man but it did make my day. Apropos, I was surprised that the DEA has many posters about Reefer Madness plastered on the walls of the museum. Having posters up that proclaim smoking marijuana causes mental illness, insanity and criminal behavior was bizarre.  If you are ever in DC, take an hour and visit it. And wear your LEAP t-shirt of course. It was a routine week chatting with staffers. One first.  a friend and supporter in Mid-Michigan, sent me an article about Holland as written by a German reporter. The email contained the address for the reporter.  I cranked out a letter in German to her and offered LEAP as a source of fact and opinion for any future article about drug prohibition.
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Comment #3 posted by rchandar on February 11, 2007 at 10:32:32 PT:
Deutsche Welle
I don't know what it will take to make these reporters tell the truth! Cannabis use in the Netherlands is NOT tolerated, it is LEGAL. It is clearly stated in the cgi.nl section on Drugs Policy: "the use of soft drugs is not an offense." POSSESSION is tolerated, but SMOKING POT is 100% legal. This is in accordance with the UN Singel Convention Treaty on Psychotropic Drugs: "the use of drugs is not an offence."Enjoy.
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Comment #2 posted by The GCW on February 11, 2007 at 00:20:54 PT
Different perspectives
The article right before this one, titled:"Pot Prisoners Cost Americans $1 Billion a Year" here at CNews, http://cannabisnews.com/news/22/thread22625.shtmlshows a different perspective. A different way to approach the cannabis issue.One works and serves citizens the other does not work to serve citizens but rather screws citizens but benefits the prison industry as it creates an industry.Good and evil.The King of Peace against the King of man .The US government is harming the country and its citizens and should be stopped from doing so any further; yet We are told to let the wrong and the filthy still be wrong and filthy.The wrong and filthy must be stopped, not by the wrong and filthy, not by the righteous and holy; Stopped by the Ecologician Himself.We would not let a rabid dog eat children but that seems an analogy to what is occurring.Animal rights groups would have a cow, if people did to animals what the US government is doing to humans.How much longer, on Jesus Christ's earth is this being allowed?Why wait any longer?---Good for Holland.Does God bless Holland?---The US example can not be the will of Christ. Some dogs eat their young.I pray for the will of Christ to start now.-0-"Let the one who does wrong, still do wrong; and the one who is filty, still be filth, still be filthy; and let the one who is righteous, still practice righteousness; and the one who is holy, still keep himself holy."---Everything is relative.The US government is wrong and filthy. It is interesting what has been exposed.Iraq under Saddam Hussein, was wrong and filty and the ones who attacked Iraq are wrong and filthy.0The wrong and filthy do not have a right to the tree of life.0"Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life,..."0It is those who are righteous and holy, who have a right to the tree of life.0Cannabis Kaneh bosm Tree of life0Cannabis' effects; its powers; its insights; its blessing is greatest for those who have the "right" to use it.--Is that the, “right” direction? Is there a particular “right” turn that will become evident to those with the holy connection that will be given to those who are and keep themselves righteous and holy? Keep in mind, the NASB is written in the English that Americans will speak tomorrow; the way it is considered yesterday is different than the way it will be considered when it has the full effects available to Us; so even that word, “right” may be taken and used differently that what You may thing initially. The whole Bible may be like that. The Wholy Bible.0Getting the proper directions may be like making the spoken about, “right” so You “may enter by the gates into the city.”0"To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life..."Cannabis' effects; its powers; its insights; its blessing is greatest for those who have been "granted to use it.0Those who have the, “right” to; and those who have been “granted to eat” of the, “tree of life,” have something that those who don’t and haven’t, don’t have.Hemp inclusive.Rev. 22:11Rev. 22:14Rev. 2:7 
Not just: Your will be done, but rather, Your will be done, -now.You, do Your will, now.1Christ God Our Father, The Ecologician has a plan. Is everyone ready for how they fit in the plan? If not, "wash Your robe."  1Read more.http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=73&chapter=22&version=491Sometimes I think I Am seeing something, although I know I Am blind.The Green Collar Worker
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Comment #1 posted by Toker00 on February 10, 2007 at 08:40:00 PT
Let's go Dutch!
Makes one proud of their Dutch Heritage, doesn't it? More Thinkers and Tokers and less Drinkers and Provokers.Sorry. I am not putting down the moderate alcohol user. It's just so easy to get addicted to alcohol and so hard to get out of it. Speaking from Experience. Cannabis saves lives! Well, this one, anyways... Toke.
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