Netherlands: The mayor of Rotterdam wants to sell coffeeshop licenses to the highest bidder

Ahmed Abouteleb, the mayor of Rotterdam, plans to sell coffeeshop licenses to the highest bidder in an auction, according to the Dutch daily newspaper Dutch News.

He is currently looking for new options for an auction. For several years, new licenses have not been granted. Today, a license costs between 500 and 600 euros in Rotterdam.

The mayor's idea for the sale came in the wake of criticism from city council members over the closure of Nemo, the city's largest coffeeshop. Two years ago, police found a stock of 140 kilos of cannabis in a building near Nemo, whereas in the Netherlands only 500 grams of cannabis are tolerated in dispensaries.

In Rotterdam, the number of coffeeshops has fallen dramatically since 1999, from 65 to just 37. The mayor announced to council members that he was prepared to authorize two or three new dispensaries, as each year their closures have led to long queues for consumers at the remaining coffeeshops, such as Nemo or Reef.

«Often, between twenty and thirty people stand on the sidewalks waiting to enter the coffeeshop,» remarks the concierge of the building next to the store. «It's annoying for the residents of the surrounding apartments, as well as for the customers of the local supermarket, as the customers barricade the passage».

The majority of coffeeshops approve of the idea of bidding for dispensary licenses to the highest bidder. What's more, council members insist that such a cannabis auction will enable the city of Rotterdam to «earn something» from dispensaries, even if some of the city's dispensary owners strongly disagree with the mayor's decision.

Mehdi Bautier