The Netherlands - Marijuana Tourism: Government ban a farce - two-thirds of Dutch "pot" cafes still admit tourists

Marijuana Tourism in the Netherlands

Two-thirds of the country's 478 cannabis cafes continue to sell marijuana to tourists, despite the ban implemented at the beginning of this year, according to research published by Nos television.

In total 111 cafes in 33 cities - including Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht and The Hague - took part in the survey, devised by Epicurus, a foundation launched by coffee shop owners.

The survey shows there is a sharp north-south divide. The ban was first introduced in the southern provinces of Limburg, Brabant and Zeeland, where only 8% of cafes still sell to tourists.

At the same time, three quarters of cafe owners in the south say street dealing has increased since the ban came into effect.

Just 3% of cafe owners in the rest of the country say their door policy has been checked up on by police and council officials. And there have been no infringements of the law reported outside the southern provinces.

For example, Amsterdam's mayor Eberhard van der Laan made it clear last year the capital will not ban tourists from the city's 220 coffee shops because the legislation makes it possible to take local circumstances into account.

Read more: DutchNews.nl - Two-thirds of Dutch cannabis cafes still admit tourists: survey