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The mayor of Amsterdam is pushing for laws that would close cannabis-friendly coffee shops within 250 meters of schools, but only for part of the day. After about 6 p.m. as well as all weekend long and on holidays, the shops can open back up to tokers and space-cake eaters alike.
In the states, heads would roll over shops being within 250 feet of a school or even 1,000 feet of a school. Actually, that’s not true. The feds simply send out $.49 letters to everyone within 1,000 feet of schools and shut them down without really lifting a finger.
The move is seen as yet another affront to the cannabis-friendly establishments that have operated in a legal gray area for decades now. Supporters of the coffee shops say that the law would do nothing to keep children out of coffee shops because they already are kept out of the coffee shops by laws requiring an age limit of 18 and up.
“This cannot be true,” said one cannabis business owner to the Dutch News. “It’s going to cause problems and distance from a school is a non-issue. This policy is directed at school pupils but the under-18s don’t get into a coffee shop anyway because of the tough controls. But our regulars will have to wait until 1800 hours.”
According to Forbes, nearly 2 million tourists come to the ‘Dam specifically for the marijuana each year. Amsterdam is currently home to an estimated 220 pot shops and cafes.
Of that number, 31 are near schools.