27 April 2012

Dutch set to ban tourists from 'coffee shops'

Tourists could be banned from cannabis cafes in the Netherlands by the end of the year.

A ban has been proposed but is being opposed by a group of coffee shop owners who say it would be discriminatory against overseas visitors.

A judge in The Hague district court is due to decide whether the ban can go ahead, says a BBC report.

The ban is being strongly opposed by the Mayor of Amsterdam, where around a third of the city's tourists visit to smoke cannabis in the cafes.

Under the proposed measures, Dutch residents will still be allowed into the cafes, as long as they have valid identification or are in possession of a "weed pass", which is also being debated.