News of: Monday, February 13 2006,
The ban on on-street smoking of marihuana around Mercatorplein square in neighbourhood de Baarsjes continues to attract attention, and cause new initiatives.
Soon after the placement of the new signs, they were stolen several times. The neighbourhood council then decided to sell them to the public, for E 90 each.
According to the neighbourhood council De Baarsjes, already more than 800 of the official signs have been sold, 65% to Americans.
On February 14, a new website will be launched specifically for this purpose: http://www.noblowbord.nl.
The proceeds of the sales go the 'Cannabis Intelligence Amsterdam' project (CIA). The project has existed since 2003, and aims to educate youths of ethnic minorities about alcohol and cannabis. The education is done by young people with an ethnic minority background.
On March 1, the first Cannabis Show will be held in De Baarsjes (a talk show about cannabis, with entertainment).
Fake prohibition signs, made of plastic, have appeared for sale on advertising websites.
You can now also buy postcards with a picture of the prohibition sign, and the text 'Greetings from De Baarsjes Amsterdam'. They are sold by art gallery 'De Stoker' (address Witte de Withstraat 124 hs), for E 6 for 4 postcards. Since their opening hours are only Friday and Saturdy, 11-5, they are now seeking other ways to sell the postcards. The postcards are a success, according to a spokesman of the gallery.
