Topic: DRUGS - on May 9, 2012 at 11:47:00 AM CEST
Dutch "cannabis card" roll-out in disarray
A week after a contentious roll-out of a new Dutch law to stub out cannabis sales to foreigners, enforcement is in disarray.
Drug tourists are simply dodging the "cannabis card" law by heading elsewhere in the country for their fix, since the rule has entered into force in just three southern Dutch provinces so far.
"It takes time for everything to be put into place," Justice and Safety Ministry spokeswoman Charlotte Menten admitted to AFP on Tuesday.
Some police appear not to be trained to tackle the issue and several coffee shops have closed in protest.
The new law came into effect on May 1 and effectively transforms coffee shops into private clubs as it requires around 80 cannabis cafes in the south to sell only to signed-up members who live in the country.
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