Drugs: Goodbye Dutch Skunk?

• October 25th, 2011
• Posted by EUEditor

Backing-off on liberal marijuana laws in the Netherlands this month has seen a new ban in the offing, on potent varieties of the drug, known as “skunk”.

Until the middle of this year, not only Dutch smokers but also travelers from outside, could freely smoke some marijuana in the coffee houses set up to accommodate the trade.

Those seeking connoisseur status in the game also might choose to go exotic, moving past the modest ready-made tobacco-bearing joints, maybe three for €10 (A$13.29; xe.com, 25.10.11), and ordering some brown stuff from Mexico, or “White Widow”, or “AK47”.

Members of the Dutch government now talk of a great crack-down, to put paid to much of the indulgence.

First, in June, they intimated that tourists would be banned from the smoke houses; goaded by the nationalist bloc in parliament, the Wilders group, towards ending what many in the Netherlands see as a humiliation for the country and culture.

This month, word was issued that a parliamentary debate could be expected, in coming weeks, on the sale of skunk – so-called stronger marijuana with higher concentrations of the active ingredient THC.

It might go onto the hard drugs list with heroin  or cocaine.

See EUAustralia Online: “Dutch smoke houses ban”, 3.8.11; “Wilders horse-trading”, 5.9.10.

Reference

Duncan Crawford, “Ban on skunk ‘will cause black market in Amsterdam’”, Newsbeat, BBC Radio 1, London, 17.10.11. http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/15338078, (25.10.11)

Irish Times, Dublin, “Dutch tighten cannabis laws”, 25.10.11.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2011/1008/breaking79.html, (25.10.11).

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