Smoking Tobacco in Coffeeshops:
Since the 1st July 2008 smoking tobacco in an indoor setting has become illegal in The Netherlands, following European law with most other European countries in order to provide a smoke-free work environment for all workers. Coffeeshops are still allowed to let their customers smoke Cannabis pure joints (without tobacco) and use pipes and vaporisers indoors. If you wish to smoke cannabis mixed with tobacco then you will need to make use of their terrace area.
>> Official Dutch Government Smoking Ban Information Website (in Dutch)
Future of Coffeeshops
Current policy in The Netherlands regarding coffeeshops may well be changing. Outside of Amsterdam the current Dutch government, led by the Christian Democratic Party (CDA), have implemented a policy where coffeeshops 250 metres or nearer to a school must close. Many famous coffeeshops in Rotterdam and other cities no longer exist. Last year in Amsterdam the coffeeshops that also had alcohol licenses were forced to choose between the two. Happily we can report that very few decided they would rather sell beer than Cannabis, although some locations had no choice.
Current Coffeeshop Guidelines
The coffeeshops are required to comply with a set of conditions known as the 'AHOJ-G' criteria: no advertising (A), no sales of hard drugs (H), no nuisance (O), no admission to coffee shops for minors (under 18) (J), and no sales of large quantities (more than 5 grams) per transaction (G). The maximum trading stock is 500 grams, but municipalities can set a lower maximum if they wish.
Depending on the specific problems they encounter regarding local Cannabis retailers, some municipalities have added a number of extra conditions to the AHOJ-G criteria in the form of a covenant ('no parking outside of coffeeshops', 'coffeeshops must close at 10.30 p.m.', etc.) Policy regarding each shop is left up to the local authorities and is discussed between the police, the public prosecutor and the mayor ('tripartite consultations').
In 1996 the Public Prosecutions Department issued a new set of guidelines that now serve as the basis for these tripartite consultations. Greater attention is paid to compliance with the AHOJ-G criteria under the new guidelines. It was also agreed in 1996 that sales of alcohol should not be associated with sales of soft drugs (however until 2007 those licenses that allowed both substances were permitted to stay within the industry). Since the start of 1997 the police, municipalities, the public prosecutor and other interested organisations have been able to address any questions or requests for information about local drug policy in general and also coffeeshop policies, primarily handled by the Support and Information Centre for Drugs and Safety (SIDV).
(Source: Factsheet, Cannabis Policy; NDM; Trimbos
Institute)
