Marijuana is soon to be prohibited in Amsterdam’s red-light district

Amsterdam is well-known for its amazing museums, lovely canals, colorful Dutch Baroque structures, and, of course, marijuana. Cannabis is legally sold at the countless cozy Amsterdam coffeeshops, which draw thousands of tourists each year, and is just as much a part of the city’s culture as Van Gogh and bitterballen.

However, the city has announced that they will soon make it illegal to smoke marijuana on the street in the red light district, also known as De Wallen, in an effort to make the city more livable for residents. New measures are also being taken to reduce public consumption of alcohol in the city’s historic epicenter of the legal sex work trade.

“Residents of the old city center experience a lot of nuisance from mass tourism and alcohol and drug abuse on the street,” the Municipality of Amsterdam shared in a statement on Thursday.

Additionally, it was asserted that tourists draw street dealers, who in turn fuel crime and turmoil. The atmosphere can become dark and dreary, particularly at night noted CNN. People who are intoxicated tend to hang around longer. The neighborhood is growing unsafe and uninhabitable, according to the municipality, and residents have trouble sleeping.

Amsterdam also conveyed the hope that the smoking ban would lessen annoyance. If this doesn’t work, the municipality noted it would also take into account prohibiting the take-out purchase of soft drugs at specific times as well as the smoking of marijuana at outdoor seating areas at coffee shops.

All of this occurs shortly after Amsterdam launched a new “stay away” campaign to ward off rambunctious visitors. Although a complete ban on tourists entering coffee shops has been planned for some time, the city’s new measures mark the first sincere attempt to combat drug tourism. Weed smoking on coffee shop terraces may be outlawed next if the regulations don’t have the desired impact.

Timeout reports that Inner-city bars and eateries must now close by 2 a.m., and brothels, which are usually open until 6 a.m., must now close by 3 a.m. The guidelines are being revised. If your primary goal was to have a very wild time and smoke weed without any restrictions, the red light district is no longer the place to go.

Evie Blanco is a journalist with nearly a decade of experience who was born in the Dominican Republic and raised in Queens, New York. She is extremely well-versed in hip-hop music and culture and is always aware of any developments within it. Whether it’s the latest in pop culture, a fascinating foreign destination, a truly amazing new restaurant, or breaking news, she loves to write about it all.

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This story was originally published February 10, 2023 at 12:51 PM with the headline "Marijuana is soon to be prohibited in Amsterdam’s red-light district."