Holland: Cannabis Trade at All-Time High

[kiwi_farmer]

By CHRISTEL KUCHARZ

AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands, Nov. 6, 2008

http://www.abcnews.go.com/International/St...6371&page=1

Copyright © 2008 ABCNews Internet Ventures

 

 

Coffee Shops in the Netherlands Prosper Amid Global Financial Crisis

 

While businesses all around the world are struggling in these difficult times, it's boom time for one type of establishment in Amsterdam.

 

 

A joint of marijuana is lit diromg the High Times Cannabis Cup festival at Melkweg (Milky Way) club in Amsterdam in this file photo.

 

While ordinary businesses all around the world are struggling in these difficult times one place they are booming in is Amsterdam. The coffee-shops, for which the city has become famous, are full and doing brisk trade in carry out cannabis and, for the more indulgent, "smoke-in" spliffs.

 

"Business is good. The tougher the economical situation is, the more we're selling, because more people need to relax from stressful situations," said Co, a manager at Amsterdam's Abraxas coffee shop, who did not want his full name revealed.

 

There is only one major restraint for the passing puffer: The joint has to be pure. The Netherlands passed a tobacco-smoking ban July 1, putting it in line with many other European countries.

 

But Holland's stance on cannabis, marijuana and the like is unique: Coffee shops are allowed to possess up to half a kilo of the so-called soft drugs.

 

They can legally sell 5 grams per customer -- law enforcement looks the other way as long as the coffee shops keep to these rules.

 

There are about 780 such coffee shops all over the country, almost 200 in Amsterdam, and despite the global credit crisis, people are flocking to them from far and wide to "chill out."

 

"People are much more bothered by the nonsmoking ban, which was forced on us last summer, than they are by the financial crisis, which has hit Holland, too," Co said.

 

 

"After the smoking ban was imposed we've seen a drop in sales of drinks and beverages, because the socializing factor is gone. More and more customers buy the drugs and take them home rather than staying at the coffee shop and have a smoke over a drink."

 

"I believe people will save on big things, like a new car or a new TV set, but they won't save on soft drugs."

 

According to Co, "In times of crisis, you treat yourself to small luxuries."

 

It's an argument that Max Daniel, head of the Dutch government agency in charge of cracking down on cannabis, says is true. "The tougher the times, the more the drug business is thriving."

[Kali Mist]

Total legalisation 4 adults = almost Zero Drug Crimes. Common Sense but no country is game to ignore the U.S. & just do it ®. Edited November 8, 2008 by Kali Mist

[WantDaChronic]

im suprised a policitian didnt voice their concerns about how the worse off society gets, the more business the drug sellers are doing

 

lets just hope that this story hits obama's desk and between now and then the tax revenue created from the coffee shops helps lift holland out of the financial crisis more so than any other measure taken by a factor of 5 or so. I doubt obama could ignore statistics like that and knowing the amount of people that would try government weed to help the country out, especially if it was actually good shit, it would definately lift the USA out of the crisis and generate a really good stream of revenue for the government afterwards...if that happens, you can be damn sure the rest of the world would follow suit