In an attempt to destroy marijuana tourism in The Netherlands, the Dutch government passed a law banning all foreigners from the world famous Dutch cannabis coffee shops, including those in the marijuana Mecca, Amsterdam. Today, a judge at The Hague District court upheld the controversial new law, which requires Dutch citizens to show their ‘weed pass’ before entering a cannabis coffee shop. The new law will be effective May 1 in the southern provinces, and across the country by the end of the year. Is this the end of an era for ganja? The High Times Cannabis Cup, an institution for marijuana enthusiasts from around the globe, takes place every year in Amsterdam. The future of the Cup, beyond this year, is now uncertain. The Mayor of Amsterdam, Eberhard van der Laan, whose city draws millions of marijuana tourists annually, opposes the new law, and hopes for a compromise.

Basically, all coffee shops will now be private clubs, where Dutch residents can become members. Each shop is limited to 2,000 members. The Court agreed with government lawyer, Eric Daalder, who argued that this law is key in breaking organized crime’s hold on the Dutch marijuana market.

A lawyer representing one of the coffee shop owners stated, “This is a totally political judgment…the judge completely fails to answer the principal question: Can you discriminate against foreigners when there is no public order issue at stake?” Coffee shop owners plan to appeal the decision, but will not be able to do so before the law takes effect on May 1. To justify the action, the Dutch government cited drug tourism, threats to national security, and heavy traffic problems at the borders where foreigners smuggle marijuana back to their home countries for resell. Is Sheriff Joe Arpaio working for the Dutch now? Several coffee shops have vowed to resist the new law, and force the government to prosecute them. We’ve seen how that goes down in the U.S., where caregivers have tried to hold out, only to be crushed by federal authorities.

But, for those of you planning a trip to Amsterdam to sample the bud, and some of what The Netherlands’ massive legal system of prostitution has to offer, you will have to settle for sex slaves. Perhaps the Dutch government is afraid stoners are getting too high to exploit the thousands of women and young girls being rented daily across The Netherlands. I could puke at this level of hypocrisy. Apparently, the Dutch government has no moral sense whatsoever. Back in 2009, the House of Representatives tried to pass a law banning anyone under 21 from working as a prostitute. The law was supposed to be decided on June 22, 2010, but has been deferred so the government can ‘examine’ the issue more closely.