The Dutch government is turning conservative, and this could spell trouble for the coffeeshop culture. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1339164/EU-rules-Dutch-BAN-coffee-shops-selling-marijuana-tourists.html?ITO=1490 While you don't HAVE to go to the Netherlands for quality dope, especially if you are growing da kine, it's very cool to do so. The "happiest place on earth". As it stands now it is just a border town that is being effected and Amsterdam and other towns are still open for business. If you had ever wanted to go I encourage you to do so before it's too late. TS
once the whores and world class grade A dope are both gone, actually either one, their tourism revenue will be severely impacted, if not destroyed, especially the dope revenue. Hot ass can be had anywhere, just not in the Dutch red-lit window-shopping style.
I agree 100%. They say they want to reduce or eliminate so-called "drug tourism." But what they are really going to do is reduce or eliminate tourism in general. Could be they just want to keep the foreigners out, and this is an easy way to do it. Why they would not want foreigners to spend their money there is beyond me. Maybe I just don't understand how retail business works. They complain about too many people, too much foot and car traffic, too much congestion. Same thing in CA and Co where they have dispensaries. I guess I'm missing something, but when you have a retail storefront, don't you WANT lots of people walking and driving by your shop? If it were me and I had a store (like a donut shop), I'd be jumping for joy if an mj-related business moved in next door.
The 'Dam' has been losing tourism for a few years now and is trying to figure out if the mainstay of the $$ is voyeur/mj related or normal tourism. Also, to what effect one is elastic to the other. My guess is both will stay in some form or another. Revenue is just too hard for a government to give once they learn to rely on it.
The thing is that fine whores can be found anywhere. Want a nice peacfull, beatifully scenic vacation with plenty of top-shelf ass? Pick a spot in central-eastern europe, Asia, Brazil.... Want good bud/hash available at walk-in cafe's with a conveniently located whore-house right up the street and a pastery shop around the corner? Go to Amsterdam. It's the one-stop travel center that has it all. Scenery- check Good food- check good pussy- check world's greatest marijuana -check You could find all of that in San Fernando Valley, but.. not really a need for a list of cons to that is there?
California can and willasssit: become the New Amsterdam of the world if we could just get our crap together and legalize already!
Some places seem pretty cool: like Vancouver, Portland and Portugal. I haven't been but I have read some on the 'net. As far as Amsterdam goes I am hopeful that they will hang tough. The Coffeeshop owners have vowed to go down swinging. Still, in between my first visit in 2007 and second visit in 2009, the mushrooms had been outlawed :-( They had these whimpy things called "truffles" the second time around. I didn't even bother with them. Oh! And Shadow you are absolutely right about the food. It's like NYC quality in the variety of good things to eat. I don't remember seeing a jewish deli, but my tummy was very happy every day
they got rid of mushrooms?!? where the hell have I been? If they wanna get rid of pot, they're going to have to fight against businesses that have been cashing in on a very lucrative niche for a very long time. Kinda like Belgium and the rubber trade (IF I remember right)... Basically, the Belgians basically turned the entire Congo into one big Concentration Camp and pillaged its resources for a decade. by the time the international community finally heard about it and generated enough pressure to make them stop, the Belgian monarch was so loaded that he was above repercussion in the international tribunals that followed. Some of the local governors under him were tried for genocide, but not the guys who cashed in and used it to stabilize their own nations. True story. This is exactly the same thing. People outside the country arguing against the legitimacy of super-rich small bag sellers when they're right beside a brothel isn't going to have any impact on the local authorities. Stopping the weed trade to foreigners would be the end of that entire market's prosperity. I don't buy.
The Dam doesnt need weed. Its just a very small corner of the city. Dont get me wrong its a great corner, but there is so much else there. I dont think torisum will be that hard hit. I am totally against it though. Weed and pussy rule!
Amsterdam is totally cool. Even w/o weed. I agree. I know that NOW. But, the first time I went it was because I wanted to smoke weed in a coffeeshop and experience the awesomeness of it all. Make no mistake, if they restrict tourists from coffeeshops there will most definitely be a big economic impact.
