Indifferent , opinion is a substance of subjection. Since the quality of cannabis went up in the UK we have not needed / wanted to visit Amsterdam since.
The first time we went to Amsterdam we were blinded by the bright lights, hookers, and hashish. The last few times, as an anthropologist we took time to opened our eyes,, and looked outside onto the streets.
I'd agree that Amsterdam appears to have less gun-crime on the surface,, especially in relation to teenagers However the criminal networks that support the flow of narcotics, the junkies, and the prostitutes, on the outskirts of Amsterdam are no different to those in any major city.
My buddy lives in Amsterdam. The owner of his local coffeeshop got kidnapped a few months back... national news. No-one is sure if they found him yet... or if they ever will! Again another reason why doormen are now required. None of which bodes well on the coffeeshop industry or on Dutch Tourism. Ditto as for race relations,, the Turkish and Moroccan mafia are locked in running street battles in Amsterdam suburbs (weekly). As a result gun-crime in the city is actually on the increase.
Where do you think all the deals on the junk n pills that gets sold in the UK take place? Amsterdam - the hub of illegal narcotic activity in Europe. Which has become a social European problem that Europe needs to start addressing, before (as we are seeing) the same problem moves into the new European member states out East.
The service that established coffeeshops like the Green House provide to tourists is miles away from the underbelly that feeds the majority of smokers in the Netherlands. If preventing tourists from visiting coffeeshops in Amsterdam will help clean up the city, by reducing the demand on hard-drugs by tourists and reduce the number of street dealers,, then so be it.
Since most coffeeshops cater for the tourist trade, we would see a dramatic reduction in the number (variety) of coffeeshops in Amsterdam as a result.
Peace Peace Peace
The first time we went to Amsterdam we were blinded by the bright lights, hookers, and hashish. The last few times, as an anthropologist we took time to opened our eyes,, and looked outside onto the streets.
I'd agree that Amsterdam appears to have less gun-crime on the surface,, especially in relation to teenagers However the criminal networks that support the flow of narcotics, the junkies, and the prostitutes, on the outskirts of Amsterdam are no different to those in any major city.
My buddy lives in Amsterdam. The owner of his local coffeeshop got kidnapped a few months back... national news. No-one is sure if they found him yet... or if they ever will! Again another reason why doormen are now required. None of which bodes well on the coffeeshop industry or on Dutch Tourism. Ditto as for race relations,, the Turkish and Moroccan mafia are locked in running street battles in Amsterdam suburbs (weekly). As a result gun-crime in the city is actually on the increase.
Where do you think all the deals on the junk n pills that gets sold in the UK take place? Amsterdam - the hub of illegal narcotic activity in Europe. Which has become a social European problem that Europe needs to start addressing, before (as we are seeing) the same problem moves into the new European member states out East.
The service that established coffeeshops like the Green House provide to tourists is miles away from the underbelly that feeds the majority of smokers in the Netherlands. If preventing tourists from visiting coffeeshops in Amsterdam will help clean up the city, by reducing the demand on hard-drugs by tourists and reduce the number of street dealers,, then so be it.
Since most coffeeshops cater for the tourist trade, we would see a dramatic reduction in the number (variety) of coffeeshops in Amsterdam as a result.
Peace Peace Peace