News of: Thursday, November 01 2012,
The mayor of Amsterdam, Mr Eberhard van der Laan, has confirmed in an interview with the newspaper 'De Volkskrant' that tourists will remain able to buy soft drugs in Amsterdam coffeeshops, also after January 1 2013.
Tourists will not have to show that they live in the Netherlands, in the 220 coffeeshops in Amsterdam. The mayor says he has had talks with the government in The Hague during the past year.
The coalition agreement of the newly elected government, which is about to be installed in the next week or so, leaves space for local variation of the implementation of the rules that govern coffeeshops. In other cities, coffeeshop clients will have to show proof that they live in Holland.
According to the mayor, Amsterdam has made an agreement with the government to become even tougher on coffeeshops that break the rules. There will be a special team dealing with coffeeshops.
Coffeeshops are not allowed to sell drugs to minors, advertise themselves, have a large stock of weed on the premises or seel marihuana that is too strong.
The Dutch government will make new rules concerning the maximum strength of marihuana.
Amsterdam has about one third of all coffeeshops in the Netherlands.
