Amsterdam fights for your right to smoke pot

The proposed ban on allowing foreigners to purchase cannabis will increase crime, Amsterdam officials say.

Paul Ames

From: http://www.globalpost.com/

A Spanish tourist smokes a joint in front of the Bulldog coffee shop in the red light district of Amsterdam on Dec. 8, 2008. (Anoek de Groot/AFP/Getty Images)

AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands — The city of Amsterdam is preparing to fight for tourists' right to party.

The capital's town council, backed by the tourist board and local campaigners, is opposing a new law proposed by the Dutch government that would ban foreigners from frequenting the city's cannabis-serving coffee shops by 2012.

(Read: Genetically modified pot fetches 10x regular price)

“If tourists are denied access to coffee shops, illegal sales and drug dealing on the streets of Amsterdam will increase,” warned Mayor Eberhard van der Laan. “Amsterdam does not want to facilitate soft drug use by tourists, but to help those who wish to use drugs to do so as responsibly as possible.”

(Watch: Legalizing pot in Mexico to combat violence & Front lines of Mexico's drug war)

Van der Laan is consulting with the center-right national government to convince it, “that these measures will be counter-productive for Amsterdam,” said City Hall spokeswoman Iris Resheef.

In May, the lower house of parliament voted to back a bill that will oblige The Netherlands' 400 coffee shops to become member-only clubs. Only Dutch citizens will be able to obtain a so-called “weed pass” allowing them to enter.

The measure came after appeals from smaller towns along the country's southern and eastern frontiers that have complained about an influx of rowdy, drug-seeking youths from Belgium, Germany and France.

The bill still needs to pass the upper house of the Dutch parliament and may face a legal challenge from campaigners who say it infringes on the country's constitution by discriminating against foreigners.

“We recognize that there are problems in cities on the border with drug trafficking and so on, but we don't have that here,” said Machteld Ligtvoet, head of communications at the Amsterdam tourist board. “It offers a solution to a problem that we do not have.”

Amsterdam, a city of about 700,000 people, welcomes 4 million tourists every year. About one quarter of them visit one of the city's 223 coffee shops. For many, kicking back with a joint has become an integral part of any visit to Amsterdam, alongside the canals, flower market and art treasures.

“We didn't come here specifically for the coffee shops, but it was definitely a factor,” said Aaron, 27, from Austin, Texas. “We've done the Rembrandts and the Van Goghs, we've done all the hot spots, but its just fun to smoke a joint.”

“Honestly you can only see so many museums and this is a nice alternative,” added his companion Elizabeth, 22, as the pair emerged from a downtown coffee shop called The Jungle. “It's not the only thing here, but it's certainly a draw.”

The coffee shops' clientele are a mixed bag. There are cannabis connoisseurs who know their Acapulco Gold from their White Widow, respectable middle-aged travelers reliving a youthful flirtation with the weed or indulging in some giggly experimentation, and boozed-up bachelor parties taking a toke before resuming their wide-eyed tour of the red-light district.

“I love my place,” said coffee shop owner Marc Jacobs. “We have people from all around the world, they drop in for a joint, to have a laugh and a nice time. Everybody gets along and we've never have any trouble.”

Jacobs opened his coffee shop, The Rookies, in 1992 among the theaters and cafes of the Liedseplein district of central Amsterdam.

Now a board member of the nationwide Cannabis Retailers Association, he warns that the new law will have a disastrous impact on a sector that, he says, directly contributes 110 million euro ($155 million) to the tax authorities in addition to attracting tourists to the city.

However, Jacobs said the economic consequences are a secondary concern. The real fear is that the new law will push the trade of cannabis back onto the streets.

“I think the Dutch politicians have forgotten why we have coffee shops in the first place. That was for health care first of all to keep the cannabis away from hard drugs and the safety on the streets,” he said.

City officials agree. Mayor Van der Laan has warned that Amsterdam does not have the resources to cope with the expected increase in street crime and health problems that could stem from the marijuana trade going underground.

“The moment it is sold illegally you'll have the danger that people will be cheated and robbed. They will start to offer hard drugs with it. We are really worried that it will lead to an increase in crime,” said Ligtvoet, from the tourist board.

The government, however, seems to be standing firm. While Amsterdam's coffee shops, legalized prostitution and thriving gay scene are viewed abroad as symbols of Dutch permissiveness, the capital's liberal attitudes are often out of step with more conservative thinking in the wider country.

Recent elections have shifted Dutch politics to the right and the government is targeting the coffee shops as part of a law and order campaign that's particularly tough on crime associated with foreigners.

“The current open-door policy of coffee shops should be terminated and that the fight against organised drugs-related crime is intensified,” said a recent statement from the Ministry of Security and Justice. “The cabinet expects that closure of coffee shops to foreign drugs tourists will ensure that they no longer travel to the Netherlands to purchase and consume cannabis. After all, many of them can use the illegal markets available in their immediate surroundings."

(More: Morocco: Cannabis fields torched)

The Stoner Bucket List: 20 things to do for 4/20

Posted by Chris Spags
From: http://guyism.com/

This Wednesday is the biggest day for pot smokers everywhere, an international celebration for lovers of cannabis the world over. But it can be difficult to figure out how to make your 4/20 different than any other day so we’re providing you with this Stoner Bucket List of things do to this 4/20 (or any day, really).

20 Use a vaporizer to get high

We’ll start it off easy for you guys. 4/20 is a celebration of pot culture and nothing out there screams “I know my way around a bowl” quite like a high end vaporizer. Whether it’s a Volcano or some contraption you got off Amazon that looks vaguely like Johnny-5 from “Short Circuit”, the vape high is a different feeling, and one everyone should try once.

19 Build a giant “Scooby Doo”-esque sandwich

Scooby Doo and Shaggy were, as far as I can tell, the first and biggest potheads ever captured in animation. So what better way to celebrate 4/20 than embrace their ways? Grab twenty slices of bread, your favorite cold cuts and condiments, get high enough that you can pretend your dog can talk, and eat away. Even if the sandwich sucks, at least you’ll have an awesome homemade version of Jenga to play.

18 Buy your pot from the shadiest spot imaginable

Yes, when most traditional media outlets cover marijuana in a positive light, they act like the only way people smoke pot is from purchases in legal medicinal places with a license. Fun fact: Most states don’t allow that. So live on the edge and eschew your friendly neighborhood pot dealer. The weed may be heinous and smell like a bonsai tree, but at least you could feel like you were living in “The Wire” for just one hour.

17 Hit up a Bob Marley cover band show

The patron saint of pot may have passed away a long time ago but his music lives on through not only his albums, but countless cover bands across the nation. In Southern Cali? Try to find the One Drop Redemption. In Dallas? Maybe the Island Boogie Steel Drum Band will move you. It’s the closest you can get to the real thing without a time machine or a lot of planning repeated watchings of “Weekend at Bernie’s”.

16 Watch five classic stoner movies in one sitting

There’s nothing better after a nice hit than lounging around and zoning out on something entertaining. So why not use this time to pick out five of the best stoner movies you haven’t seen (or have seen and adored) and hit them all in one night? At a certain point, it even becomes a challenge within a challenge. Sure, watching “Still Smokin’” seemed like a good idea at 8PM, but when you’re four movies and three bowls in and fighting to stay conscious, it becomes the ultimate test of will. “E.T. The Extra Testicle” loses its charms a bit.

15 Paint or draw a picture while high

This seems like some “Oh, I’m an artist…let me CREATE” type of thing, I know. But who hasn’t loved painting or even fingerpainting at some point in their lives? The point of this exercise is to do awesome things you wouldn’t normally do sober. So screw it, go get some crafts, get baked, and embrace your inner Picasso. Your horse looks more like a giraffe but hey, you made that bizarro horse-giraffe monstrosity. Cherish it.

14 Eat a pot brownie or, for the advanced, a fancy pot dessert treat

Again, another basic one. But if you haven’t done this one and you fancy yourself a smoker, you probably need to cross this one off your list early. Make sure to find a quality recipe though: it’s a thin line between “Awesome, I’m really high and eating a delicious brownie” and “Oh God, I think I can see the future and this brownie tastes like sugary dirt.”

13 Smoke within 100 feet of a police station

Reckless? Perhaps. But if you’re one of those politically active “the government needs to stop overregulating our bodies” types of smokers, what more ballsy-yet-passive-aggressive way is there to thumb your nose at the man and his laws? The judge will definitely account for your awesomeness during your trial.

12 Stare at a midget

Okay, this one sounds kind of cruel. And perhaps it is. But you know that classic clip from “The Simpsons” where Otto is so stoned off his ass that he talks about his fingers and their “finging”? That’s sort of what staring at a midget is like. Mentally, you know the little person is just one of the universe’s quirks. But you smoke enough and this becomes a whole metaphysical discussion you haven’t even scratch the surface on.

11 Break out the Gravity Bong

Everyone’s favorite absurd way to smoke up in college needs to be tried at least once. Some say it’s the most potent way to get high. Other say you just look like an a-hole. But either way, it’s an important part of pot culture. Here’s a helpful how-to guide to make your own Gravity Bong this 4/20.

10 Get high on a hot air balloon

Odds are that going into space while high isn’t something you’ll be able to approach in the next decade or two, so why not do the next best thing and get on a hot air balloon ride? Check out the majesty of the earth, say “Wow, everybody looks like ants from up here!” seven hundred and thirty times, and bring your big book of Jules Verne jokes that you’ve been saving up for just such an occasion.

9 Find someone new to smoke kiss

Let’s be real…whether you like pot or not, you have to admit that stoner girls tend to be the coolest girls around. So why not share in common interests you both will share with a smoke kiss? By making out after one of you takes a hit, not only do you get to make out with an attractive girl with a fun side, but you also get high. Putting lipstick on your vaporizer and tongue kissing it is a less recommended replacement.

8 Take someone’s pot virginity

Ah that first smoke. The moment when boys become men and men become…kind of lazy and occasionally paranoid. Even though the urban legend says you can’t get high your first time, there’s nothing better to entertain a long time smoker than to watch a newbie act like they don’t feel anything, only to find themselves passed out on the floor singing the “Facts of Life” theme.

7 Smoke with a relative, preferably an older one

If you’re one of those “cool kids” who grew up with parents in the house who gave them weed and said things like, “Hey, I’d rather you do it here under my supervision,” you can skip this one and punch yourself in the groin. For everyone else, this is one of those things that might seem awkward at first, but could be quite liberating. Plus, now you’ll know who’ll tell you funny stories about getting caught beating it to Farrah Fawcett while you’re celebrating Aunt Ronnie’s 77th birthday.

6 Have sex while high

If you’re enough of a pot smoker to be checking out this list, I’d have to assume you’d have already crashed through this barrier. But if you haven’t, now’s the time to do it. So grab that special guy or gal in your life and let your two bodies become one. Bonus bucket list points for involving extra people, objects, and farm animals.

5 Combine three “classic” stoner foods to form a Megazord snack

Lately, combining foods into new foods is all the rage (see: The Doritos Taco Loco). So why not put on your lab coat and goggles, pick up your favorite stoner foods, and see what you come up with. Want a hot dog covered in Funions and peanut butter? Who’s to say that combination won’t be awesome? Take the leap, put a bunch of stuff together like a buffet with your friends, and go nuts.

4 Get high at a transcendently beautiful location

Light up at Machu Picchu? Take a hit at the Grand Canyon? Hot box before entering the Sears Tower’s Glass Box (pictured left)? The only thing that could make these locations more mind-blowing than they already are is the welcome addition of weed. Just remember: Safety first. By which I mean always wear a condom while getting high and falling into the Grand Canyon. It’s just good manners.

3 See any of those big Vegas shows

Blue Man Group, Cirque du Soleil or even Criss Angel put on a hell of a show when you’re sober. But the vivid colors and outlandish presentation become an otherworldly event went you’re stoned off your ass. Get your ass on the next plane to Vegas (or whatever town near you has one of their touring companies), smoke up harder than you ever have, and see where the night takes you. And hopefully that’s not somewhere having sex with a flamboyant leprechaun with a French accent.

2 Go to an amusement park of your choice, Disneyland being tops

Anyone who’s been to Disneyland can tell you that the place really lives up to the hype of the “Happiest Place on Earth”. Nowhere else in America can you see people so overcome with joy and fun in one area. And what better way to appreciate that than by sparking up a big bowl before hitting the park? You probably haven’t lived until you’ve been stoned off your ass and sat on one of the talking benches in Cartoon Town without realizing it was going to yell at you. That’s what Roger Rabbit’s life was like every single day.

1 Make the pilgrimage to the mecca of pot, Amsterdam

The snobs out there will say that Amsterdam pot isn’t even the best in Europe or that the region is nothing more than a tourist trap. But fuck the snobs. There’s a reason Amsterdam has become this iconic place in pot culture, enough so that (for better or worse) it’s the first thing that would come to most people’s minds when they hear the city’s name. Get over there, bring your camera so you can remember everything that happens, and go crazy. Not crazy enough to end up in a real life version of “Hostel”, but crazy.

Thanks to Reddit’s /r/trees, Highdeas, and this image for some partial inspiration

Best Stoner Theories for Why 4/20 Is the Day of Weed

By Victor Gonzalez
From: http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/

Pass the dutchie, bro

​Yesterday we learned that there's a lot more to 4/20 than just bong rips and bloodshot eyeballs. April 20 marks the anniversary of some pretty serious shit like Hitler's birth and the Columbine Massacre. It's also the day BP ruined the Gulf of Mexico and killed 11 workers in the process after the Deepwater Horizon Semi-Submersible Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit exploded, and released a shit-ton of crude oil into the ocean. It was a total 4/20 buzzkill.

So why is it that a seemingly haunted date is celebrated as pot's counterculture Christmas? Well, there's a bunch of different theories that only make sense when you're high. From pot-related penal codes to Jerry Garcia's favorite hotel room, 4/20's origins remain widely debated. Check out some of our favorite theories after the jump.

1. "We've got a 420 in progress, we're going to need back-up."

It's been rumored that 4/20 was the California penal code for marijuana possession, but sorry stoner, it's not. In fact, penal code 4-20 is about obstructing access to public land and "every person who unlawfully prevents, hinders, or obstructs...is guilty of a misdemeanor."

2. Drug Dealer Pager Code 420.

What came first, the stoner or the beeper? The stoner did, and so did the 420-pot connection that inevitably became a beeper code like 42, 143, 555. The 420-pot/beeper connection pretty much died when cell phones took over, and texting your drug dealer became all the rage. "Yo bro, got work?"

3. The Grateful Dead Insisted on Staying in Room 420.

Yes, the Grateful Dead might be the most overrated dad-rock jam band in the history of modern music, and the only reason pot's become so synonymous with the band isn't because the group members were a bunch stoners, but rather you must be high to listen to their music. The thought of the entire group sharing room 420 is ludicrous. What fourth floor room of any hotel you've ever been to could possibly accommodate Jerry Garcia's fat ass, and a bunch of other sweaty, smelly hippies? None.

4. It's Tea Time in Amsterdam.

Really? Everyone knows teatime in Holland is at 3 p.m. Actually, we're not sure if it is because last time we were in Amsterdam, we were so fucked up on mushrooms that we regrettably missed afternoon tea, and opted for a tour of the Van Gogh Museum.

5. 1970s San Rafael, California "High" School Kids Coin the Phrase

According to a High Times magazine article and in-depth research by Huffington Post, a group of stoner classmates who called themselves "The Waldos," coined the 420-term in 1971 when they heard a plot of weed plants near the Point Reyes Peninsula Coast Guard station had been left unattended. They'd meet outside of their San Rafael High School, and embark on a quest to find green each day, but came up short every time. But 420 stuck, and they found it to be a clever code word for pot smoking.

Forty years later, "four-twenty" is still part of the American lexicon.

What did we learn today? Nothing of serious value, just a bunch of useless trivia y'all can share with your frat bros tomorrow when you're posted up on the couch hitting that sweet, glass-on-glass Roor you spent last semester's tuition money on.

SJC: Odor of marijuana not enough to order suspect out of car

Posted by Martin Finucane 

By Martin Finucane, Globe Staff

The odor of burnt marijuana is no longer enough for police officers to order a person from their car, now that possession of less than an ounce of marijuana has been decriminalized in Massachusetts, the state's highest court ruled today.

"Without at least some other additional fact to bolster a reasonable suspicion of criminal activity, the odor of burnt marijuana alone cannot reasonably provide suspicion of criminal activity to justify an exit order," the court ruled in a decision written by Chief Justice Roderick Ireland.

The court said the people's intent in passing the ballot question decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana was "clear: possession of one ounce or less of marijuana should not be considered a serious infraction worthy of criminal sanction."

"Ferreting out decriminalized conduct with the same fervor associated with the pursuit of serious criminal conduct is neither desired by the public nor in accord with the plain language of the statute," the court said.

Justice Judith Cowin, who has since retired, penned a dissent.

She wrote that up until today, state law has allowed police to perform a warrantless search if they smelled burnt marijuana in a car.

"Even though possession of a small amount of marijuana is now no longer criminal, it may serve as the basis for a reasonable suspicion that activities involving marijuana, that are indeed criminal, are underway," she wrote.

"Our case law is clear that 'the odor of marijuana is sufficiently distinctive that it alone can supply probable cause to believe that marijuana is nearby.' The advent of decriminalization certainly has had no effect on the distinctiveness of marijuana's ordor. Nor has decriminalization affected the criminal status of numerous other activities involving marijuana," Cowin wrote.

Voters in November 2008 overwhelmingly approved Question 2, which decriminalized marijuana, with baackers calling for a "more sensible approach" to marijuana policy and focus by law enforcement on more serious and violent crimes. Opponents argued that the law would promote unsafe drug use.

Schwarzenegger: 'No One Cares If You Smoke A Joint'

By Steve Elliott
From http://www.tokeofthetown.com/

Photo: Reason

Arnie burns one down in the documentary "Pumping Iron"

​
In California, "No one cares if you smoke a joint or not," Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said Monday night on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

The Governator made the remark while discussing Prop 19, which would have legalized adult recreational pot use in the state, reports Mary Dooe at CBS News.

"Proposition 19 went a little bit too far, I think," Schwarzenegger said of the failed measure. But he added a note of hope for the future.

"Propositions don't die because the idea is bad, it just dies because it is written wrong," the Governor added.

Arnie said his decision to sign a bill last month that reduces marijuana possession charges for up to an ounce from a misdemeanor to a civil fine hurt Prop 19's chances of passing.

"It makes [possession] from a misdemeanor to an infraction, which is like a speeding ticket," Schwarzenegger said. "And no one cares if you smoke a joint or not."

Schwarzenegger famously appears in the body building documentary, Pumping Iron, including one memorable scene in which he is seen puffing on a joint.

California voters turned down Prop 19, 54 percent to 46 percent.

Globe Toking: Pot Around the World (Photos)

newsweek.com — A slideshow of how other countries in the world handle marijuana use. The list comprises countries that allow people to use the drug without facing jail time, mandatory drug treatment, or other penalties. 1 day 15 hr ago

Tony Avelar / The Christian Science Monitor-Getty Images

The most marijuana-friendly nations

By Ryan Tracy

Would Proposition 19, the proposal to legalize, tax, and regulate marijuana use in California, have really generated the benefits that its proponents claimed? We may never know. But in theory, the answer is hazy for one main reason: Prop 19 would have gone further than any marijuana law on the books anywhere. The policy would have been revolutionary in the U.S., where marijuana is legal only for medical purposes—and that in just 13 states. But not even the world's pot meccas have legalized and taxed the drug from production to consumption, as Prop 19 would have allowed cities in California to do. Drug-policy experts, though, disagree on whether Prop 19 took the right approach. Do other parts of the world have a more sensible system? We've put together a slideshow of how some other countries in the world handle marijuana use.

Ed Oudenaarden / AFP-Getty Images

Netherlands

Not even Amsterdam, home of the Cannabis Cup, has laws like the ones Prop 19 proposes. Cannabis is illegal in the Netherlands, but the Dutch have decided to fight other types of crime and leave pot smokers, like this one smoking a pipe in Amsterdam, alone. Cops also don't bother "coffee shops" that sell marijuana as long as they follow certain rules, like not selling to minors and not selling "hard" drugs such as cocaine (the Dutch consider marijuana a "soft" drug). Prop 19 would make marijuana legal to use for people over the age of 21, though they could not smoke around minors, in public, or on school grounds. The Netherlands' system for regulating cannabis is similar to what Prop 19 proposes: individual municipalities decide how many marijuana retailers they will tolerate by issuing licenses. Licensed "coffee shops," in turn, have to pay taxes. Prop 19 would allow both those things in the state of California, but it would also permit and tax the commercial production of marijuana, sanctioning an industry that could create a huge supply of legal weed. Commercial marijuana production for recreational use is not legal anywhere on the planet.

Nacho Doce / Reuters-Landov

Portugal

Portugal decriminalized all drug use and possession in 2001, meaning that while using or possessing drugs is not legal, authorities don't punish users as they would a criminal offense, like robbery. When drug users are caught, they must appear before a three-person "dissuasion commission," which might mandate treatment if the person is a repeat offender. Drug dealers can still be prosecuted as criminals. A 2009 report by the libertarian Cato Institute found that drug use did not increase in Portugal after decriminalization, but deaths and disease related to drug use have decreased, perhaps because the government now offers better treatment programs for addicts. For some, decriminalization isn't enough, though: above, a pro-legalization March in Lisbon in 2008.

Andina Agency-Reuters-Landov

Peru

While Peru doesn't allow the sale of marijuana, it has gone further than other nations down the path to legalization. It's legal to possess about a third of an ounce (eight grams) of marijuana for personal use, with no fines, treatment programs, or other consequences. Debate about further legalization continues, though President Alan García has come out against the proposals. And the Peruvians are still making drug busts like the one cops are showing off above, in which they seized marijuana hidden in vuvuzelas at a school in Lima.

Enrique Marcarian / Reuters-Landov

Argentina

Argentina only recently entered the ranks of countries with relatively liberal cannabis policies. Last year a Supreme Court ruling declared that the country's constitution gave "each adult" the right to "make lifestyle decisions without the intervention of the state," paving the way for citizens like this man to grow cannabis plants on a small scale or use drugs. The court overturned convictions of people who had served jail terms for carrying marijuana. The ruling opened the door for the country's government to decriminalize other drugs as well.

Pablo La Rosa / Reuters-Landov

Uruguay

If Argentina is the newest member of the decriminalization club, Uruguay may be the oldest. The nation has never criminalized marijuana for personal use. Its laws have, since 1974, left it up to judges to determine what amount constitutes "personal use" on a case-by-case basis. Still some Uruguayans want more freedom. Above, a man smokes a joint a pro-legalization rally in Montevideo in 2007.

Luis Acosta / AFP-Getty Images

Mexico

In August 2009 Mexico decriminalized possession of small amounts of marijuana and other drugs, including heroin and cocaine. Individuals can possess less than a quarter of an ounce (five grams) of marijuana for personal use, though the law states that if a person is caught with small amounts of drugs on three occasions, he will face mandatory drug treatment. On the first and second occasions, treatment is optional. The decision to focus on treatment and leave drug users unprosecuted came in the midst of a bloody war between drug cartels, but young Mexicans are still organizing pro-legalization rallies, like the one above in September 2010.

www.encod.org

Belgium

Though Belgium has decriminalized marijuana, meaning that possession of up to five grams, or less than a quarter of an ounce, will not lead to a criminal penalty, possession will still net you a fine. The fine of €75 (about $104) is relatively low, however—Luxembourg mandates a fine of €250 for a possessing a small amount of marijuana, and in Spain the fine is €300. Still, pro-legalization rallies, like this one in Antwerp, still attract a crowd. Belgium has made it illegal to smoke in the presence of minors or in public—as California would should Prop 19 pass—but will tolerate personal consumption in private. Belgium treats the cultivation of any more than one plant as a criminal offense.

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