Dutch say no (tobacco) smoking
2008-06-19 17:07
The Hague - The notorious Dutch "coffee shop" faces a unique conundrum under a new public smoking ban: its patrons can still light up their cannabis joints but no longer if blended with tobacco.
The Netherlands, which tolerates the use of "soft" drugs, will banish tobacco smoke from restaurants, cafes and other public places from July 1.
But as it follows the example of other European Union members in curbing smoking for public health reasons, the country finds itself in a singular position as the only one to allow, since 1976, marijuana use in licensed cafes.
While the new law does not prohibit the smoking of cannabis in coffee shops, owners are coming up with new strategies to stay afloat in a country where users traditionally prefer their cannabis joints mixed with tobacco.
'People thank me'
The Any Day coffee shop in Amsterdam has introduced a novel gadget that produces a new kind of high to keep his clients' attention.
The machine, like vaporisers sometimes used for medicinal purposes, works like a water pipe but without combustion. It transforms the cannabis into vapour, which is then inhaled.
With no tobacco and no paper, "the vapour broadens the user's thoughts without rendering him apathetic," explained its creator Evert, who did not want to give his full name.
"People thank me for having changed their lives."
Many others are likely to follow suit, provided they have the space. But some may have to change to over-the-counter marijuana sales.
Many coffee shop owners, while ready to try chartering a new course, doubt the ability of the authorities to enforce the new law for a lack of qualified inspectors.
Forensic laboratories have already warned they have too much work "to analyse the tobacco content of joints seized," said Michael Veling, owner of the coffee shop 'Kuil' (The Hole) in Amsterdam.