‘Potheads, Go Giggle Elsewhere’: Public Weed Ban Begins in Amsterdam

THE GUARDIAN: Tourists and residents now face €100 fine for public smoking in De Wallen, but some business owners are worried about impact

A worker hangs signs in the Nieuwmarkt publicising the new ban. Photograph: Hollandse Hoogte/Shutterstock
Thick fumes of cannabis smoke were noticeably absent from the air of Amsterdam’s red light district on Thursday, the familiar smell replaced by dank canal water and rats on the first day of a ban on smoking marijuana in public.

After years of complaints from residents about wild behaviour from 18 million annual visitors, a crackdown on nuisance tourism is in full swing. Last month, the municipality started a “stay away” campaign – aimed first at misbehaving Britons – that banned alcohol sales in shops at the weekend and imposed earlier closing times for window brothels and pubs.

Now, tourists and residents alike face a €100 (£87) fine for public cannabis smoking in and around the red light district, to “reduce crowding and nuisance in the area”. » | Senay Boztas in Amsterdam | Thursday, May 25, 2023