Dutch Coffee Shops: Where's the Coffee?
A recent piece in the Sun.co.uk, a British news site, among other websites, covered the story of the problems coffee shops in the Netherlands are having with pot sales to tourists. The report stated that although marijuana is technically illegal in the country, arrests are not made for possession of less than five grams. Besides looking the other way for possession of small amounts, the authorities have allowed coffee shops to sell the stuff.
With such an attractive commodity, the Dutch coffee shops became a tourist attraction to citizens of nearby countries and “drug tourism” took off. Traffic, congestion and public orderliness problems have increased such that the newly elected conservative government wants to crack down. Soon foreigners, and notably Brits, won’t be able to buy the weed at the coffee shops, where resident ID’s will be required for such purchases.
If you want to go on a coffee tour, the Netherlands is probably not the place. Indeed, the tourism industry is due to suffer greatly if tourists will be discriminated against when trying to enjoy the country’s biggest tourist draw in recent years. It hasn’t been the attraction of Dutch coffee that has brought customers in droves to the shops.
None of the news reports mentioned whether or not coffee can be found in Dutch coffee shops. But you don’t have to leave home to try a great Dutch coffee - ROASTe offers Douwe Egberts delivered to your door.
With such an attractive commodity, the Dutch coffee shops became a tourist attraction to citizens of nearby countries and “drug tourism” took off. Traffic, congestion and public orderliness problems have increased such that the newly elected conservative government wants to crack down. Soon foreigners, and notably Brits, won’t be able to buy the weed at the coffee shops, where resident ID’s will be required for such purchases.
If you want to go on a coffee tour, the Netherlands is probably not the place. Indeed, the tourism industry is due to suffer greatly if tourists will be discriminated against when trying to enjoy the country’s biggest tourist draw in recent years. It hasn’t been the attraction of Dutch coffee that has brought customers in droves to the shops.
None of the news reports mentioned whether or not coffee can be found in Dutch coffee shops. But you don’t have to leave home to try a great Dutch coffee - ROASTe offers Douwe Egberts delivered to your door.
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