I know it's legal in the Netherlands to smoke herb in Coffee Shops, but how about in your home?
2007-10-17 05:47:14 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Travel ➔ Europe (Continental) ➔ Netherlands
Cannabis remains a controlled substance in the Netherlands and both possession and production for personal use are still misdemeanors, punishable by fine. Coffee shops are also illegal according to the statutes.
However, a policy of non-enforcement has led to a situation where reliance upon non-enforcement has become common, and because of this the courts have ruled against the government when individual cases were prosecuted.
This is because the Dutch Ministry of Justice applies a gedoogbeleid (policy of tolerance or allowance policy) with regard to soft drugs: an official set of guidelines telling public prosecutors under which circumstances offenders should not be prosecuted. This is a more official version of the common practice in other countries, in which law enforcement sets priorities as to which offenses are important enough to spend limited resources on.
Proponents of gedoogbeleid argue that such a policy offers more consistency in legal protection in practice, than without it. Opponents of the Dutch drug policy either call for full legalization, or argue that laws should penalize morally wrong or decadent behavior, whether this is enforceable or not.
In the Dutch courts, however, it has long been determined that the institutionalized non-enforcement of statutes with well defined limits constitutes de facto decriminalization. The statutes are kept on the books mainly due to international pressure and in adherence with international treaties.
2007-10-17 05:52:22 · answer #1 · answered by fraser w 2 · 3⤊ 1⤋
It's not legal to smoke weed in the Netherlands, and many pubs will not allow it, it is merely tolerated by the police so that they can keep the dealers of the soft drug marjuana away from the dealers of heroin and cocaine and focus on them.
You can have in your possession a few grammes of weed or skunk, but only for your own personal use. You may not buy a large amount to sell on. Only licenced coffeeshops may sell, but a loophole in the law also says they can't buy - so they have to be circumspect, grow their own, and hope the cops are looking the other way.
2007-10-18 04:46:42 · answer #2 · answered by Orla C 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
"It's not technically legal", blahblahblah. Yes, you can smoke it in your house. You can carry it around in your pocket. You can take it on the train or the bus. Just be discreet and no authorities will ever mess with you. And don't try to take it out of the country, 'cause then authorities WILL mess with you. But as long as you're in the Netherlands, possessing it for personal use, you'll never be hassled by the man. Ever.
2007-10-18 19:10:25 · answer #3 · answered by chazzychef 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
When I was there, my friend and I would walk the streets smoking away, no one said anything, but I think it's not allowed on the streets. And if it's in your own home, that's your own private property, and you choose what happens there, so I don't see it as an issue. Just don't buy it from anyone that's offering it to you. Buy it from the shops, you don't know what's in the street stuff.
2007-10-18 12:37:31 · answer #4 · answered by Becky G 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
IN your home, yes.
Don`t do it in your garden though.
Recently a woman was banned from smoking (normal cigarettes) in her garden, because her neighbor had issues with asthma or something.
2007-10-18 05:17:11 · answer #5 · answered by U_S_S_Enterprise 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Yes.
2007-10-17 13:00:56 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I do not know that , but try to go to"wikipedia" and search for "netherlands marijauna law(s)"
2007-10-17 12:50:49 · answer #7 · answered by snowbunny360 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Oh yes...Thats legal too... :-)
2007-10-17 12:49:37 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋