Most Dutch councils ignore ban on marijuana sales to tourists

Dutch News (Netherlands)
Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Tourists are still able to buy marijuana in 85% of the Netherlands' cannabis cafes despite the national ban on selling soft drugs to non-residents, according to Tilburg University researcher Nicole Maalsté. Most local authorities have incorporated the ban into their local bylaws but do nothing to enforce it. However, non-residents are excluded from coffee shops in 23 of the 103 local council areas with licenced cannabis cafes. These are mainly in the southern regions. Most councils said they were not enforcing the ban because the sale of marijuana to non-locals was not causing problems or because there are few foreigners in the first place.