AMSTERDAM - Starting July 1, marijuana will be the only leaf that can be smoked in public places in the Netherlands. Cannabis devotees aren't celebrating.
Local pot smokers, who usually cut joints with tobacco, and owners of the coffee shops where they are allowed to light up will have to change their habits when the nation implements the indoor tobacco ban.
Puffing a pure marijuana cigarette in public will still be permitted; smoking one with tobacco will merit coffee shop owners a $466 fine.
"Every customer will have to learn how to smoke pure," said Robert Kempen, co-owner of The NooN and Mellow Yellow in Amsterdam, which sells marijuana and hashish. The rule makes him "sick to death," he said, rolling himself a joint. - The Windsor Star
There will be a tobacco black market fo' sho.
Well, doesn't that just mean they can't smoke tobacco in public? Not that they can't smoke it entirely? I thought, with the exception of the coffee shops, they can't smoke grass in public either?
ReplyDeleteUmm... black markets only crop up with outright prohibition or excessive taxes. Smoking bans in public places or offices do not contribute to illicit substance trade or black markets. If a substance is taxed and regulated but the tax is ridiculous that can create black markets, for example cigarettes here in MA. I actually did know someone when I was in high school who was part of the tax free cigarette trade. Every week he'd go into Boston and offload hundreds of thousands of packs of cigs off a russian freight ship. I am strongly in favor of legalizing all drugs, including dangerous ones, because the blackmarket can lead to so many dangers and impurities. Cigarette regulation and taxation has worked wonders to reduce the number of people hurt by this dangerous drug even as drug prohibition has caused the number of people addicted to hard drugs like heroine have skyrocketed. You can say "oh, but you don't know the damage addiction causes" but I do, I've seen friends die from heroine addiction, and I'm sure they wouldn't be dead if that stuff was regulated and above-board. P.S. I live in Wakefield too and it BLOWS HERE! RICK SMITH IS A PIECE OF SHIT FASCIST!
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