An era is about to end in the Dutch lowlands. I speak of the era of soft-drug toleration. After increasing nuisance by drug tourists in the southern parts of the country, two towns have already decided to close down all the coffee shops within their boundaries. And I must admit: despite my long standing companionship with the Sacred Cannabis Sativa Hollandica, I actually couldn’t care less about this.
No, I can say that better: I APPLAUD this. Even if all the coffee shops in the country were closed down, it wouldn’t itch me one bloody bit. One of the reasons for this is the perpetual availability of the stuff. It will always be possible to get hold of some Ganja, no matter how prohibited it becomes. With the enormous amount of know-how as to how to grow Cannabis, I don’t think any Dutchman who has the urge to smoke, will ever be without high quality grass.
So maybe the soft drug traffic will go underground. The popular argument against the abolition of Cannabis-tolerance in the Netherlands, is that the hard drugs and weapons-dealing mobs will muscle themselves into the business, stating that this would eventually expose our soft-souled youngsters to the hard world of heavyweight thugs. That is, if they were to try and score dope at such enterprises.
But maybe some benign breed of Cannabis farmers will emerge, who might even be capable of growing ECO-Organic grass. This is already an initiative, be it a small one. It might lead to a small-scale home growing “industry” which would be focusing on private use, without the aim for large profits. I think that if there is a market for soft drugs promoted by people who won’t liaise themselves with the wise guys, then this market will be catered to. I don’t think that any “niche” goes uncovered in this country of entrepreneurs.
However speculative my opinions or expectations might be, I see one huge advantage to the Coffee Shop Exit strategy. We will finally get rid of these very annoying and seemingly antisocial drug tourists. It is indeed unpalatable how one can get smoked up in a tram or train by some idiot foreigner who thinks that pot-smoking is allowed anywhere and everywhere, even in buses and trains. How is it that they don’t know that these are places where smoking weed, or ostentatiously rolling up a joint is a very rude thing and is frowned upon thing by locals? One would never catch a Dutch pothead trying this, but these foreigners are apparently too stupid to understand some basic rules of courtesy.
Not to mention the junkies who – before they score – steal, burgle and rob to get hold of the money that finances their addiction. How annoying can it get?
So maybe we will get rid of the loud mouthed, overbearing “visitors” who have been terrorising Amsterdam for so long. The badly dressed, drunk, stoned and noisy Britons might seek their “fun” elsewhere and return to their national pastime of drinking their brains into a pulp. The suicidal alcohol and mushroom mixing French should go home and stick to their Absinthe, which can make the head go whoopy just as well as any illegal substance. And the flashy, narcissistic Italians should cross back over the Alps to enjoy their countries wines. If we are lucky, Amsterdam might even become a place where the Dutch like to go.
Am I reactionary if I say “good riddance” to all these coffee shops servicing the drug tourists who have spoilt the fun for all of us? I think not. Smoking grass is still great and the availability will never cease. We’ll be fine, especially with all these problem toting foreigners gone.
