Amsterdam's oldest coffee shop has been shut down by the Dutch government leaving tourists and locals alike wondering if this spells the demise of the city's famous cannabis culture.

Mellow Yellow, a cannabis cafe that's been open since 1967, will shut up shop on January 1 by order of the mayor.

The shop set a precedent and led the way for countless coffee shops to pop up all over the city.

Mellow Yellow has been open since 1967 but will close January 1

It has to close as part of a government-backed scheme to shut down any coffee shop within 800 feet of a school.

Owner Johnny Petram fears it means the end of the coffee shop culture in Amsterdam.

'Mellow Yellow was the first coffee shop in the world and now they want to close it,' he told the Telegraph.

'I serve thousands of people every day; tourists and locals.

It has to close as part of a government-backed scheme to shut down any coffee shop within 800 feet of a school

Owner Johnny Petram fears it means the end of the coffee shop culture in Amsterdam

'I have Israelis and Palestinians in here smoking together.

'Even people who don’t smoke come here to have their photo taken.

'It’s part of the history of Amsterdam.'

The government wants to stop youngsters getting into cannabis and Mellow Yellow is one of 28 establishments that are being closed down.

So far Amsterdam has managed to avoid the so-called Weed Pass - legislation that prohibits non-Dutch nationals from visiting coffee shops - which has been enforced in other parts of the country.

'If we don’t strike a deal we would be forced to enforce the Weed Pass - and then we will have big problems,' Jasper Karman, the mayor’s spokesperson, told the Telegraph.