Weed tourists on red alert
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The Netherlands used to be a haven for soft drugs users but anyone fancying some green leaves may soon need a Dutch passport, at least in the southern city of Maastricht. The ongoing legal battle between the city’s coffeeshop owners and the local government has now reached the EU's top court.
The Maastricht city council banned the sale of cannabis to foreigners in 2006 in an attempt to stem the flow of drug seeking tourists.
Coffeeshop owners, aggrieved by the loss in business, took the ban to a local court. The court ruled that the measure was discriminatory and coffeeshops were allowed get back to business.
Unfortunately for the sellers of the legalised substance, the story didn't end there.
The issue was then taken to the Council of State, which asked the European Court of Justice for advice.
The court's judicial adviser yesterday approved the banning of the sale of soft drugs to foreigners as a way to protect public order and fight illegal drugs trafficking.
He also stated that the ban does not discriminate against non-Dutch citizens, as the Netherlands is the only country in Europe where buying soft drugs is tolerated.
If the European Court follows the advocate general's advise, which it has done on several occasions in the past, other Dutch cities might also restrict the sale of soft drugs to non-national citizens.
