HowTheWorldWorks - the facts on Dutch (drug) tourism.

[Not2Sane]

If I went to Holland I would take in all the sights and scenes of that Gorgeous Country, but I won't lie. I'd hit up a hash bar once or twice :)

[prafty]

and you think the drug smuggling will stop after this law? idiot

[CollinMaessen]

@prafty I never said I supported the law in the video, I'm explaining why it was proposed and people support it. Also if you had read the comments on this video you would have noticed that I disagree with this law.

[robm425]

Prohibition for USA has done wonders for the drug war. All the government will do is create a black market opening availability of harder drugs

[NerfDeathcoil]

This video serves as much point as the original comment that sparked it. Thumbs down.

[CollinMaessen]

@NerfDeathcoil Care to elaborate as to why?

[randolf666]

al tourist are going crazy on our drugs.. you cant handle it, thats why they only want the dutch too do drugs :) many tourists are dying because they took some mushroom or xtc.. thats not why whe have drugs.. we use drugs to be relaxt an party not for depressions like you do

[wranglers575]

Wow this is so insulting to say that Hollands tourist industry is just based on drugs

[CollinMaessen]

@Wallekot12 I have the suspicion you haven't watched the video and are trying to bait me. ;)

[CollinMaessen]

@Royalheadshot Most of the time you won't come into contact with them (they target foreigners). And the councils work hard with the police to control them. However the amount of work they cause for the police is an eyesore for the councils, and there are roads/neighbourhoods where they are very noticeable

So most of the time you won't notice them or won't be able to distinguish them from other asocial drivers.

[MerlinYoda]

Even *with* this law, which *will* have an effect on tourism as some potential college-aged tourists won't quite see The Netherlands (specifically Amsterdam) as attractive, this doesn't stop the drug runners. If they're already breaking the law, why won't they just break or get around this law as well? and use Dutch citizens as a front (or apply for Dutch citizenship to funnel the drugs). This law simply penalizes tourists (i.e. foreigners) for the misbehavior of a few.

[CollinMaessen]

@MerlinYoda I'm not saying it will not have an effect. But it won't be a big change. As most of the 140 million Euro in the drug tourism is spend/caused by people who leave the same day as they come from Germany, Belgium or France.

For most tourists the drugs is just a side show, if they try it at all.

Also most of our tourism industry caters towards families and couples (as this is the largest group that visits my country). That's not exactly the target group for drug tourism.

[CollinMaessen]

@CollinMaessen Drugsrunners probably will start doing something else. But the market that makes it profitable, the tourist who come here for the drugs, will be a lot smaller. Also drugsrunners aren't only foreigners, a lot of them are Dutch citizens (and you don't get Dutch citizenship easily).

Also I'm not saying this is the best solution, my video is mostly background information on the why for this law.

[MerlinYoda]

@CollinMaessen Well, I think we can agree that this is not the best solution ... Laws that target a broad group of people who haven't necessarily done something to cause the problem remind me of when teachers would punish the whole class for the actions of a few students or even just one student. Hopefully they'll be able to craft something a little more fair that removes potential customers of the drug runners and still allow tourists the "side show" experience.

[MerlinYoda]

@MerlinYoda Also, I definitely agree that there is more to The Netherlands than Legalized Marijuana. I've been to Amsterdam twice already on two separate vacations and considering it for a 3rd ... and wasn't to a coffee shop on either prior visit.

[CollinMaessen]

@MerlinYoda It is indeed like punishing the whole class when just one or two did something. So I'm also hoping they figure out something that doesn't restrict the sale of drugs to recreational users (I also hope they do some other serious reforms to our laws on this. For example only the sale of cannabis by coffee shops is legal, growing it on a large scale and selling it to coffee shops isn't...).

[TheMessianicManic]

I though the rule was that if you bought marijuana in a coffee shop, you had to smoke it there. If it isn't, why don't they just make that the rule? Wouldn't that solve this problem better than denying drugs to tourists altogether?

[CollinMaessen]

@TheMessianicManic It's a bit more complex than that.

Since 2008 you may not smoke it anymore in a coffee shop (anti-smoking law). Only if they have a special smoking cabin. Or you can smoke it outside the coffee shop if the town council permits this.

And the problem wouldn't be solved by what you propose. The biggest problem is the drugsrunners 'hunting' foreigners to sell drugs. I wouldn't recommend driving in a car with a French license plate around the Dutch borders.

[TheMessianicManic]

@CollinMaessen

Still, a law that says you can buy it, but only if you smoke it immediately and in a licensed establishment would be preferable to banning tourists from buying it altogether.

[CollinMaessen]

@TheMessianicManic That's not the problem. That was the law before the no smoking law came into effect.

The problem is the drugsrunners who actually drive foreigners of the road to sell them drugs (on the spot or they direct them to a coffee shop). And all the other illegal and dangerous stuff those guys do.

This law is a response to that and tries to put an end to it. Might not be the best solution but that's what they are trying to stop with it.

[speuler112]

@TheMessianicManic you know some of us Hollanders want to smoke it at home or in clubs or something like that:)

[moother888]

lee doren is an idjit.... he doesn't know anything...