The heavily reported Dutch over-tolerant attitude towards drug abuse is almost as famous as famous as their tulips and wooden shoes, but it should be noted that the most active areas are in the Randstad, with relatively little activity in villages and the countryside. Progressive Dutch attitude excludes soft drugs such as cannabis/haschish and marihuana from the "problem drugs" category.
What seems shocking to tourists is run-of-the-mill for the urban Dutch. In Amsterdam, it is normal to see marihuana plants growing in homes and occasionally even in public places. The locals think nothing of smoking a joint in public. The Coffee Shop abounds, gloriously announced by a marihuana leaf painted on the front window and/or outside sign. Ironically, many of these specialist shops are not licensed to sell beverages of an intoxicating nature. From the Dutch medical point of view, soft drugs are considered harmless when compared with more socially-accepted alcoholic indulgence.
The existence of soft drug establishments, which were first introduced in 1975, relies on the national obsession with social tolerance being a greater force than the law. The 1976 Opium Act prohibits the importing, trafficking and possession of "soft", succulent smoking substances. However, possession and selling of less than 30 grams are classed as mere misdemeanours (along with riding a Bike without lights at night, or pissing in public places). The Dutch Government's stamp of non-disapproval comes with carefully crafted comments:"We see no harm in possessing or using soft drugs . . .," announced a Ministry of Justice spokeswoman, ". . . (users) stop after a certain age. We hope people who want to try soft drugs don't deal with people who sell hard drugs."
The question arises as to how the coffee-shops restock their supplies, since no traffic jams caused by wholesalers delivering their goods in 30g increments are ever reported.
The local authoritie keep their lenient eyes on the industry, estimated at HFl 650 million per year. If a marihuana merchant exceeds the tolerance zone, the enterprise is closed down. although ventures such as pre-cooked "Space Cakes" and the "Blow Home Courier Service" have been forced to close, others such as the Hash Taxi (legally permitted door-to-door delivery of soft drugs) are encouraged to continue.
