Amsterdam to soon ban tourists from buying cannabis

This might come as a huge disappointment, but Amsterdam is planning to ban tourists from buying cannabis soon. The world is well-aware of Amsterdam’s free status, where the cannabis industry is thriving. Saying that millions travel here just for the cannabis experience won’t be incorrect. Besides being home to visually-stunning canals and historic sites, the country is quite popular for its love for cannabis. However, the Mayor of Amsterdam, Femke Halsema, has announced that the government is planning on banning tourists from buying stuff.
This gorgeous city in the Netherlands, without a doubt, receives a massive number of tourists, especially in its Red Light district. The district is dotted with a number of coffee shops and dispensaries selling cannabis.

Now, the mayor plans to reduce the number of coffee shops in the city to overcome over-tourism. In her letter to the city council, the mayor has explained that tourism in the city would experience a significant dip if the number of coffee shops was cut down in the region.
The mayor has estimated that around a third of tourists would return less frequently to the city if they are not allowed to enter the coffee shops in the city. According to a report, 34 per cent of tourists who were questioned would return to Amsterdam less often if the coffee shops are closed for them. An additional 11 per cent said that they might not ever return to the city. But 22 per cent of respondents said that they would ask someone else to buy Cannabis for them, and 18 per cent claimed that they would find some or the other way to purchase drugs.

The city has licensed coffee shops, where selling cannabis from their premises is legal but production of the drug is illegal. However, there are coffee shops that deal in illegal drugs with organised crime gangs in the city.