http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/europe/4358023/Tourists-to-be-banned-from-cannabis-cafes
Goodbye tourist economy!The Dutch government said it wanted to ban tourists from buying cannabis in "coffee shops", where hash is on sale legally, as part of a national crackdown on drug use.
The Netherlands has one of Europe's most liberal soft drug policies and its coffee shops are a popular tourist attraction, especially in Amsterdam and border cities near Belgium and Germany.
But some cities near the border with Belgium have clamped down on drug tourism, and the Dutch minister for security and justice confirmed on Wednesday a wider crackdown after coalition parties agreed to push for a ban in September.
The government, which took office last month, has agreed to limit the sale of cannabis to Dutch residents to curb crime linked to its production and trading.
"No tourist attractions. We don't like that," the minister, Ivo Opstelten, told public broadcaster NOS on Wednesday.
"The heart of the problem is crime and disturbances surrounding the sale. We have to go back to what it was meant for: local use for those who would like it."
Amsterdam, home to 223 coffee shops, is already in the process of closing some in the red light district to tackle criminal activity in the area, and was studying the government proposal.