Wiet Pass abolished as of immediately - tourists Amsterdam welcome in coffeeshops

The new Dutch government has announced that the 'Wiet Pass', that was introduced in the 3 southern provinces in May 2012, has been abolished as of immediately.

The Wiet Pass is not an actual pass or card, but refers to the obligation to become a member of a coffeeshop club. One of the rules was that registration was only possible for people living in the Netherlands.

The immediate abolition of the Wietpas means becoming a member of a coffeeshop is no longer required.

The rule that clients of a coffeeshop must prove they are a resident of the Netherlands remains, so, in principle, tourists would not be able to buy soft drugs in a coffeeshop.

However, the new policy also says that it is left up to the city government to determine when they will enforce this rule.
Amsterdam will, at least for the time being, not enforce the rule that buyers must live in Holland.

The government has not mentioned a date as of when the rule that clients must live in the Netherlands, must be enforced by municipalities.

In addition, the government has ruled that drugs with a THC content of 15% or more will be qualified as hard drugs, so they can no longer be sold in coffeeshops. THC is the active ingredient in marihuana.