For the mayor of Amsterdam, «By criminalizing supply and demand, we are only helping the criminal market».»
At the initiative of the Dutch Minister of Justice, Dilan Yeşilgöz, 6 European ministries met in Amsterdam around Mayor Femke Halsema. Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands, which have formed a coalition to fight organized crime, discussed the fight against drug-related organized crime.
At the event, the mayor of Amsterdam told the visiting Belgian, French, German, Italian and Spanish ministers that the «war on drugs» was not working, and that she was convinced that the legalization and market regulation were the only solution.
«By criminalizing supply and demand, we're only helping the criminal market,» said Halsema, who is committed to cracking down on the criminal coffeeshop supply chain and is convinced that banning tourists would be effective.
«The regulation of tobacco and alcohol has shown that it is possible to control the market for dangerous products, while reducing the damage to health. To be honest, deep down I'm convinced that the best result for our society can be achieved by decriminalizing cocaine and regulating the market».
«The idea of legalize drugs was an interesting point of discussion,» Yeşilgöz said after the meeting. «But the fact is that the market for more than 90 % of the drug that comes into the Netherlands is not [destined for our market]. It's a philosophical discussion, a theoretical discussion and it could be a political discussion - but if you do it as a country, say the Netherlands, then you've tackled your share of crime, but the market is not here.».
«This kind of discussion only has an effect if it's global, and it's not. The problem we have is so big and so urgent that I'd rather focus on what we can do than on what we can't do much about.».
A further meeting of ministers is scheduled for spring 2023 in Antwerp.
-
Business3 weeks ago
Will CBD edibles be banned on May 15 in France? An update on the situation
-
Cannabis in Austria4 weeks ago
Austrian court deals first blow to proposed tobacco monopoly on hemp flowers
-
Cannabis in France4 weeks ago
Snoop Dogg invites himself to Carrefour: Dr. Bombay ice cream arrives in France
-
Business4 weeks ago
Germany: an experimental cannabis store near Düsseldorf?
-
Cannabis in France3 weeks ago
Medical cannabis: 92% of the French in favor but 0 access
-
Cannabis in Spain4 weeks ago
Spannabis Champions Cup 2026: Bilbao results
-
Business2 weeks ago
Bedrocan unveils Bedromed, a new range of standardized cannabinoid-based formulations
-
Cannabis in Israel4 weeks ago
Israel turns the page on smoked medical cannabis


You must be logged in to post a comment Login