The Netherlands: more restrictions for cannabis
The Netherlands: Government wants to stop the medical cannabis program and to restrict the sale of cannabis in coffee shops to the Dutch
The conservative government intends to get rid of the image of a "drug paradise". From January 2006 on only citizens of the Netherlands will have access to coffee shops. It is intended to prohibit the sale of cannabis in coffee shops to foreigners. According to the Austrian newspaper "Der Standard" the Dutch embassy in Austria informed the Austrian government, which will take over the presidency of the European Union in January 2006, and representatives of the United Nations about these plans.
Furthermore, the Dutch government considers to schedule cannabis as a hard drug if an ongoing investigation comes to the conclusion that the increase in THC concentration of cannabis during the past years is responsible for the increasing number of personality disorders in cannabis users, said Ton Cramer of the Health Ministry.
The medical cannabis programme under which cannabis was delivered by pharmacies for medical purposes will be stopped as well. According to the Dutch Health Ministry the program was unprofitable. Since September 2003 patients with a doctor’s prescription can obtain standardized cannabis in pharmacies.
Sources:
Der Standard.at of 3 November 2005
