Coffee Shop

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Coffee Shop in the English linguistic area

Coffee Shop (also: Coffee Shop, Coffeeshop) a lunch restaurant for the consumption of coffee and other beverages as well as small meals is in the English linguistic area in the original sense (engl. coffee Coffee + shop Shop). Today one designates frequently Cafés how Starbucks or Meyerbeer Coffee as Coffee Shop. Here usually coffee and coffee specialities become up EspressoBasis over that Tresen sold, thus as in a Café without operation.

Coffeeshops in the Netherlands

Rockit Amsterdam
Coffeeshop in Amsterdam

Coffeeshop is one waited sales office of so mentioned yield drugs into that The Netherlands. Either the operator of the Coffeeshop steps as Dealer, thus as salesmen up, or so mentioned Hausdealer, that quasi that Monopoly the sales possesses.

Still is, in agreement with that UNEinheitsabkommen of 1961, the trade and possession of some Drugs illegaly. On recommendation of a commission became the government 1976 guessed/advised, to redefine the priorities of the police, in order to relieve these. With the reform of the Opiumgesetzes handling soft drugs in the Netherlands was redefined. Now under certain conditions without a prosecution one did.

Operated a Coffeeshops

The operation of a Coffeeshops is with editions after that AHOJGCriteria connected:

  • A ("geen Affichering") means: Absolutely no advertisement, neither at the external front of the Cafés, still in the form of medium advertisement (radio, Press, Flyer) or by werbegeschenke such as lighters, Ball-point pen and other.
  • H ("geen harddrugs") means: Absolutely no sales of hard drugs still the tolerance of possession or consumption by guests.
  • O ("geen oread out") meant: No disturbance of the peace or annoyance of adjacents resident and passanten.
  • J ("geen verkoop aan jeugdigen") means: No sales to young people under 18 years.
  • G ("geen verkoop van gred hoeveelheden") means: No large quantities, neither with the sales to guests (max. 5g), still with the existence in the Café (max. 500g).

Amsterdamer Coffeeshops get attendance of a so-called drug police in irregular distances. This controls the Coffeeshops and handles after successful control a square green-white Seal with number out, which one tidy Coffeeshop distinguishes. This seal must attach the owner of shop at the eingangstuer of its shop.

A further criterion is, that in Coffeeshops mostly none Alcohol to be poured out may. In particular in Amsterdam there are however also exceptions of this rule: here became in the course of "normalization politics" bzgl. Alcohol & Cannabis to some Coffeeshops also the license to the alcohol bar given.

With a Novelierung of the law 1995 the regulations were tightened, around that Drug tourism to get. Before the delivery was permitted to young people starting from 16 years and the maximum quantity sold lay with 30g.

Also the cultivation and the import of drugs are still illegal and with up to four years detention are punished. An inquiry on reorganization regarding the suppliers of the Coffeeshops in the year 2000 became with the reference, to want to make this in coordination with the neighboring countries, not yet concerned. Therefore the prices for soft drugs are approximately as high in the Netherlands as z. B. in Germany, since the Anbauer this danger to remunerate leaves itself.

Permission of Coffeeshops

Permission must be visibly attached at the Coffeshop

There each cityMunicipality on handling soft drugs to decide may, the handling in each city canAlso differently fail municipality, up to then, that predominantly in the cities and municipalities Coffeeshops governed by Christian-democratic mayors of the CDA not to be at all waited. Therefore there is most Shops in the large cities. However in Amsterdam is approximately 300 to 400 that approx.. 500 Coffeeshops of the Netherlands to be operated.

After protests out France and Germany the government created a free space, after now within 30 km from the borders to Germany and Belgium no Coffeeshop newly opened will can.

Since 1. January 2003 one can refer Cannabisprodukte against collecting main of a prescription also in pharmacies. The price is here, according to data of the manufacturer because of the biological cultivation, clearly more highly than into the Coffeeshops. This offer is therefore up to now (conditions 2004) no success. An abolishment of this regulation one discusses.

Coffeeshops in other countries

  • Canada: Since in the middle of 2004 becomes in there the Kine Café in Vancouver the sales and consumption of Cannabisprodukten practiced and on the part of the state wait.
  • Switzerland: Due to a disputed gap in the law the sales is regarded of Cannabis products partially as legal, if they are not intended for the consumption. Thus shops developed, those as Coffeeshop function, whereby Cannabis products as smell cushions or bath salts to be sold. These are partly waited, but partially also with all legal consequences closed. The proceeding is very different thereby in the individual cantons and cities. Since that time an amending of the Betaeubungsmittelgesetzes did not take place. There it both for a final prohibition, and for a tolerating as in the Netherlands a very strong lobby gives, one refused so far, to take the topic on an agenda.

Web on the left of


See also: Headshop, Smartshop, Growshop

 

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