---<br /> <br /> The Dutch are clamping down on coffeeshops, and 'herbal tourists' will soon <br /> have to look elsewhere, writes Gemma Bowes<br /> <br /> Amsterdam has long been the cannabis capital of the world. Smoky haunts <br /> offer 'da herb' in one-gram bags or individual spliffs to everyone from <br /> stoned hippies to retired first-timers in all manner of coffeshops - sleek <br /> lounge bars, gayclubs, cosy cafes and New Age retreats. Though the tourism <br /> authorities may be wary to admit that Mary Jane attracts more tourist <br /> attention than Anne Frank, the relaxed attitude to cannabis is one of <br /> Amsterdam's biggest draws.<br /> <br /> The police have long turned a blind eye and the coffeeshop owners get on <br /> with 'cannabusiness' relatively unchallenged. But all this could shortly <br /> change. Last week, the International Narcotics Control Board reported that <br /> the conservative coalition government plans to crack down on the coffee <br /> shop industry. By 2010, the city's culture of coffee and cannabis could <br /> even be extinct.<br /> <br /> But not only are Amsterdam's coffee shops part of the city's streetlife, <br /> they're also a mainstay of its tourism industry. Some two million Britons <br /> visit Amsterdam each year - they are not all coming for the Rijksmuseum, <br /> art galleries and the canals.<br /> <br /> Hash coffeeshops have been attracting fans of the 'wonderful' weed since <br /> 1972, when the first outlets took root in the city.<br /> <br /> Holland's current legal stance is that use of the drug is not illegal, but <br /> possession is against the law, though anyone caught with less than 30g is <br /> not prosecuted. Those over 18 can buy up to five grams in a coffee shop.<br /> <br /> 'Coffeeshops are just an ordinary part of the city scene, and that <br /> ordinariness in a way has its charm,' said Rodney Bolt author of the <br /> Cadogan guide to Amsterdam and the Randstad. He also believes they serve a <br /> useful purpose. 'Coffeeshops go a long way to demystifing dope, to keeping <br /> kids away from people who might try and sell them harder stuff, and to <br /> allowing police to keep an eye on things.'<br /> <br /> Although they avoid active promotion of cannabis tourism, a spokeswoman for <br /> the Netherlands tourism authority admits that, 'A small part of the tourism <br /> to Amsterdam is people coming for the coffee shops.'<br /> <br /> Bolt adds: 'Brits, and Americans especially,who are out for a little <br /> naughtiness see a smoke as part of an Amsterdam package along with drinking <br /> and an ogle through the red-light district.'<br /> <br /> But now, the government wants local authorities to reduce the number of <br /> coffeeshops, especially near schools and areas bordering other countries. <br /> It has also voiced its concerns over links between the coffeeshop industry <br /> and the illicit drug trade, drug-related crime and health and social problems.<br /> <br /> The number of cannabis stores in Holland has already dropped from 1,500 to <br /> 750 over the past five years. Nol van Shaik, one of Holland's leading <br /> coffeeshop owners, said: 'I had a meeting with the police in Amsterdam this <br /> week, and while they do not want to make using cannabis impossible in <br /> Holland, in Amsterdam they want to decrease the number of coffeeshops from <br /> 250 to 120, and will do everything they can to do so. If owners are caught <br /> breaking the rules, such as selling to under 18s, or advertising cannabis, <br /> they will close them down.'<br /> <br /> Closing down the shops could take away some of Amsterdam's unique charm, <br /> and may cause tourists to look elsewhere for their herbal holiday. A <br /> spokeswoman from STA Travel said: 'Tourists might look to other liberal <br /> places such as Copenhagen for that kind of holiday. They could become the <br /> new Amsterdams.'<br /> <br /> The permissive world of pot users<br /> <br /> Spanish high<br /> <br /> <br /> Where Malaga<br /> <br /> Legal position Though the law says selling cannabis is illegal, it is <br /> effectively decriminalised, and personal possession of up to five plants, <br /> seeds and cannabis for personal use is tolerated.<br /> <br /> According to Nol van Shaik, owner of 16 coffeeshops, including Willie <br /> Wortel's in Haarlem, just outside Amsterdam, and founder of the Global <br /> Hempmuseum, Haarlem.<br /> <br /> Why? 'It has a perfect climate for growing cannabis plants as it's in the <br /> hottest part of Spain. It's close to Morocco, from where much of the stuff <br /> is imported.<br /> <br /> There's been an explosion of shops selling equipment for growing your own <br /> plants, and most of them have a legal smoking corner. I'm going to open a <br /> members-only coffeeshop resort in the area this summer, with a shop, cafe <br /> and campsite, next year I'll add bungalows.'<br /> <br /> Van the Man<br /> <br /> <br /> Where Vancouver<br /> <br /> Legal position Cannabis used medicinally is legal, and possession of up to <br /> 15 grams has been decriminalised to a minor offence which can incur charges.<br /> <br /> According to David Bienenstock and Steve Bloom, co-editors of High Times, a <br /> specialist USA-based magazine for cannabis enthusiasts.<br /> <br /> Why? 'Vancouver is also known as "Vansterdam". That's because it's the only <br /> other major city in the world where you can smoke marijuana relatively <br /> freely. There are several "smoke friendly" Amsterdam-style coffeeshops <br /> there, such as Blunt Brothers and the Amsterdam Cafe. You can't purchase <br /> marijuana in the shops but you can bring your own herb and smoke it on <br /> site. There are also pot-friendly bed and breakfasts, and even tour groups <br /> dedicated to showing you the town in stoner style. Also, the city is <br /> surrounded by beautiful wilderness, and is close to world-class mountain <br /> sports.'<br /> <br /> Smoked Danish<br /> <br /> <br /> Where Copenhagen<br /> <br /> Legal position The cannabis market is illegal, but it is very rare to be <br /> arrested or charged for possessing small amounts.<br /> <br /> According to Chris Fowlie, head of the National Organisation for the Reform <br /> of Marijuana Laws in New Zealand, who toured the world to research cannabis <br /> regulations and culture.<br /> <br /> Why? 'In the middle of Copenhagen, in a former army barracks, is a 30-year <br /> old squat called Christiania of more than 1,000 people and whose most <br /> famous feature is a marijuana and hash marketplace. Governments have <br /> constantly threatened to close it but never succeeded. Pusher Street is <br /> lined by 20 wooden booths where dealers sell large bricks of exotic hash <br /> and baskets of marijuana from around the world.'<br /> <br /> Give us a kif<br /> <br /> <br /> Where Morocco<br /> <br /> Legal position It is illegal, but widely available and even the drug <br /> manufacturers are rarely prosecuted. Morocco is one of the world's leading <br /> suppliers.<br /> <br /> According to Shiona Jenkins, author of the Lonely Planet guide to Egypt.<br /> <br /> Why? 'Lebanon and Dahab in Egypt were historically the places to go in the <br /> Middle East, but there was a crack down in the Nineties, and though a lot <br /> of marijuana is still grown in the Sinai mountains in Egypt, it is <br /> difficult to get it. Morocco is the place people go to for cannabis now, <br /> there's lots of hash and kif grown in the mountains. It's also famous for <br /> all the kif-imbued literature, such as the writing by Paul Bowles.'<br /> <br /> But , please remember, it's really not very good for you ...<br /> <br /> A spokesman for the National Drugs Prevention Alliance <br /> (www.drugprevent.org.uk), one of the UK's leading drugs prevention <br /> charities, says: 'Our advice is don't take cannabis. Whether you smoke it, <br /> ingest it or insert it in unusual orifices it can cause physical health <br /> problems including head and neck cancers, as well as mental health problems <br /> such as psychoses and the onset of latent schizophrenia. People who take it <br /> are more likely to have intellectual, social and emotional problems, to <br /> drop out and be emotionally volatile in relationships. We know the Dutch <br /> authorities are taking the health effects more seriously and looking at <br /> their policies again, and Amsterdam is a wonderful place you can visit <br /> without having to take cannabis.'<br /> <br /> <br /> <br />Aurora Indica |  B52 |  Big Bud |  California Orange Bud |  Citral |  Four Way |  Haze |  Hindu Kush |  Indoor Mix |  Jock Horror |  K2 |  Maroc x Afghan |  Northern Light x Big Bud |  Northern Light x Haze |  Northern Light x Shiva |  Shiva |  Skunk #1 |  Skunk Red Hair |  Skunk Special |  Papaya |  White Rhino |  Haze 19 x Skunk |  Afghan |  Master Kush |  Northern Light |  Super Skunk |  Top 44 |  Durban Poison |  Early Bud |  Early Girl |  Early Misty |  Early Special |  Hawaii x Maui Waui |  Hawaii x Skunk #1 |  Hollands Hope |  KC 33 x Master Kush |  Mixed Sativa |  New Purple Power |  Swazi |  Swiss Miss |  Northern Bright |  Snow White (fem.) |  Supergirl |  Venus |  Wonder Woman |  Kaya |  PPP (fem.) |  Medusa |  Blue Mystic |  Chrystal |  Ice |  Misty |  PPP |  White Widow |  Nirvana Special |  White Rhino |  Snow White |  AK-48 |  Bubblelicious |  Silver Pearl |  Haze |  Jock Horror |  Northern Light x Haze |  White Rhino |  Haze 19 x Skunk |