General

Dutch drug tourism on trial

Court weighs sale of cannabis to foreigners

Cannabis-infused vacations are on trial in the Netherlands, where the European Court of Justice is set to rule on whether banning the sale of marijuana to foreigners contravenes European Union free trade laws. The case, which has reached the European Court of Justice (ECJ) concerns an incident in 2006, in which two foreign nationals were found in a cannabis coffee shop in the the border town of Maastricht, which had recently passed legislation outlawing such activity. Coffee shop owners maintain that the legislation discriminates against non-Dutch citizens, thus going against EU free trade laws. The EJC decision, which is expected to be rendered swiftly, will have ramifications for new Dutch drug policy.

Der Spiegel

Looking for more?

Get the Best of Maclean's sent straight to your inbox. Sign up for news, commentary and analysis.
  • By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.