Proposal to ban overseas visitors from Amsterdam cannabis coffeeshops
Mayor Halsema is presenting a number of proposals to the Amsterdam city council aimed at achieving a small-scale cannabis market with less supply and demand, and more transparency in the cannabis supply to coffeeshops. One far-reaching measure to reduce demand would be to ban international visitors from cannabis coffeeshops, a policy already in place in cities in the south of the Netherlands. There are 166 coffeeshops in Amsterdam, representing almost 30% of all coffeeshops in the Netherlands. The mayor’s proposals are designed to reduce the influence of criminals and create a more balanced relationship between residents and visitors.
Growth due to tourism
The cannabis industry in Amsterdam has grown due to tourism, and its sheer size continues to be a major incentive for tourists to come to Amsterdam. When travel picks up again after the coronavirus pandemic, the rise in the number of tourists is expected to continue. A growing cannabis market generating ever larger profits is increasingly vulnerable to criminal activity. These risks will be reduced if the scale of the market is smaller.
Since 2012, several measures have been taken to reduce the number of coffeeshops, such as closing coffeeshops near schools. However, demand for cannabis has grown, and overall sales in the market have increased. Mayor Femke Halsema wants to limit this growth and reduce the size of the cannabis market. She will hold discussions with the municipal council about the possibility of introducing a so-called ‘resident criterion’ in Amsterdam. This is already in place in other cities in the Netherlands, where overseas visitors are not allowed access to cannabis coffeeshops. Only residents (regardless of nationality) are permitted as customers. This is a far-reaching measure that will significantly reduce the demand for cannabis. It is expected that a drop in demand will lead to a reduction in supply. If only the needs of local consumers are considered, Amsterdam only needs 68 coffeeshops instead of 166.
More transparency in the supply of cannabis to coffeeshops
In the Netherlands, cannabis is an illegal drug, but its use and sale in specific cafes known as ‘coffeeshops’ has been tolerated for decades. However, the cultivation, storage and delivery of cannabis to coffeeshops are not tolerated and are treated as criminal offences. The current tolerance policy makes it difficult, if not impossible, for coffeeshop operators not to maintain ties with illegal suppliers. It is also a struggle for coffeeshop owners to operate given the restriction on the amount of cannabis they are permitted to keep in stock and the fact that the storage and transport of the drug is not tolerated. Young people are often deployed to guard cannabis stocks or to act as couriers, running the risk of being robbed. There is often a risk of involvement with organised crime.
Mayor Halsema now proposes that the storage and delivery of cannabis to coffeeshops locally should be allowed, and the amount of cannabis each coffeeshop is permitted to keep in stock should be increased. This would apply to coffeeshops that cooperate and demonstrate good behaviour in all respects. If storage and transport are made more transparent and are no longer treated as criminal offences, criminal influence will decrease.
Decision
Mayor Halsema will discuss the proposals for the first time with the Amsterdam city council at the end of January. A more detailed version of the plans will follow based on the discussion. If the new policy is adopted, coffeeshop operators will be granted a reasonable transition period. None of the proposed measures can be introduced without the risk of negative side effects and all require careful implementation, a transition period and monitoring.