But what we didn't mention in that story was one of the things that the Netherlands, mainly the city of Amsterdam is famous for, and that's coffee shops where weed is sold openly and in many different forms and strains. But, we were surprised to learn that it's not the enlightened choice of a liberal community - it's, again, just the pragmatism of a conservative community - which sees no purpose in wrestling with an endless "drug war":..
Jan Hennop, Journalist - AFP
"People come to the Netherlands and they think that everybody rides around on a bicycle and smoke a joint. Its not like that. Marijuana is still illegal in the Netherlands. Cultivation, selling and smoking it is still illegal. Technically speaking. But what the Dutch did was in the 1970's. I think it was 1976; they brought in what they call a tolerance policy. They didn't change the law, but they did. And the policy is that you are allowed a certain amount of weed that you can carry around. If you these sort of things you walk around and you won't get arrested by a policeman or that sort of thing, but if you stand in front of a police station and you light a joint. The police can arrest you. Some people to their despair only realize after they have been arrested because it is still illegal."
We'll have a little more from our visit to the Hague later this week.
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