Amsterdam: City Council Rejects Ban on Tourists in Coffee Shops

The suspense lasted several weeks. Following the Amsterdam municipal elections on March 18, 2026—which had raised fears of a political shift toward banning tourists from coffee shops—the city council has just made its decision: foreign visitors will still be able to freely visit the city’s coffee shops. The decision was met with relief and enthusiasm.

A serious threat

Since the fall of 2025, the specter of a ban had been hanging over Amsterdam. The PvdA had made a first formal attempt in October, without success. But the March 2026 elections had reignited fears: a new majority seemed possible, one that included parties willing to close coffee shops to non-residents. The VVD, led by Daan Wynands, was actively pushing for this.

In the end, it was the coalition of JA21, GroenLinks, Volt, and D66 that tipped the scales in the right direction. The city council’s vote has, at least for now, ruled out this scenario, which the entire industry had feared.

Shortly after the announcement, Arjan, CEO of Greenhouse, one of the Dutch capital's most iconic retailers, posted a video message on Instagram, clearly relieved. «We have won the battle for safety on the streets of Amsterdam. Coffeeshops will remain open for all tourists,» he said, calling on his followers to spread the news «immediately to the cannabis world worldwide».

Arjan didn’t mince words when addressing those in favor of the ban, calling the VVD’s attempt a “huge mistake” and expressing his disappointment with Mbarki (PvdA): “Yet he understands very well how things work on the street.”

The head of Greenhouse also made a point of thanking his partner Joa, who reportedly lobbied behind the scenes for several months to prevent the measure from passing. And to remind us that this kind of standoff is nothing new: four years ago, Mayor Femke Halsema had attempted a similar approach, but to no avail.

Security concerns were a major factor

Behind this political victory lies an argument that ultimately won the day: banning tourists from coffeeshops does not eliminate demand; it merely shifts it—to street dealers and an unregulated black market with no quality control or health and safety standards.

Dirk Korf, a criminologist specializing in the study of coffee shops, had in fact confirmed this risk in a recent study: about a quarter of foreign tourists said they would turn to the black market if coffee shops were banned. This is an argument that coffee shop advocates have effectively used to sway hesitant elected officials.

However, the city council’s decision does not put an end to the debate. Since 2012, parts of the Netherlands have applied a “residency requirement” that restricts access to coffee shops to registered residents. Amsterdam continues to be an exception—a valuable one, but one that is increasingly contested.

Especially since the European landscape has changed. Since the partial legalization in Germany in April 2024, German tourists no longer necessarily need to cross the border to purchase cannabis legally. The flow of cannabis-related tourism is naturally dwindling. Industry professionals believe this is all the more reason not to artificially accelerate this decline by closing the door on visitors who still make the trip.

For now, Amsterdam is still Amsterdam. And its coffee shops, open to everyone.