For two decades, Dutch officials have tolerated the sale of marijuana and hashish in coffee shops; now some are going into business for themselves.
Authorities in the town of Delfzijl are spending $294,117 to open a coffee shop on September 1, reports the Associated Press. It is modeled on a similar project in the town of Bussum, outside Amsterdam. Profits from the store will fund education campaigns on drug use, and the store will be staffed with counselors and youth workers offering free health information on drug use.
“Of course we don’t want people to use drugs, but that’s not realistic,” said Delfzijl City Hall spokeswoman Marjon Edzes. “This is a healthier solution.” Despite their policy of tolerating the sale of marijuana and hashish, the number of Dutch adolescents who have ever used marijuana is far lower than in America. Dutch politicians maintain that their policy discourages hard drug use by separating the illicit drug markets.
For more information on comparisons between illicit drug use rates among Dutch and American adolescents, please contact NORML @ (202) 483-5500 for a copy of “Exposing Marijuana Myths” by Drs. John Morgan and Lynn Zimmer.