Overtourism and why Amsterdam can ban tourists from cannabis cafes

Amsterdam’s cannabis culture has long been legendary for stoners around the world, especially those coming from more restrictive environments. Those fantasies of a cannabis tourist-friendly city may soon be going to bed, however. The jury has decided: Amsterdam has made it this far with noisy tourists and many locals blame cannabis cafes for making it possible. Soon Amsterdam could ban tourists from cannabis cafes altogether in order to weed out unsavory strains.

Why does Amsterdam want to ban tourists from cannabis cafes?

According to Mayor Femke Halsema, tourist misconduct is the main reason for the ban.

We would like to [tourists] get [Amsterdam’s] Wealth, its beauty and its cultural institution. The problem is: there are just too many. The drug tourists are the reason for an increasing demand for marijuana.

Mayor Femke Halsema

Halsema first proposed the ban in early 2020, and now the city wants to align its tourism strategy during this crucial recovery period to focus on “healthier” tourists.

A large number of reform proposals have already been made to address the alleged problem of “overtourism” in the city, particularly among certain types of tourists. For example, Airbnbs and other short-term vacation rentals were banned in Old Town, a ruling that has since been overturned by the courts. There are also proposals to move Amsterdam’s red light district out of the city to the outskirts.

We have to change the international image of Amsterdam as the world’s drug capital. If we do that, I think we will attract a different audience and make the city a better place to live.

Councilor Don Cedar

City residents have cited various reports of bad tourist behavior, particularly party animal antics that include vomiting in windows and putting on offensive costumes while stumbling and urinating on the streets.

What happens in Amsterdam Stays in Amsterdam

Photo by: Gio Mikava

It’s not difficult to sympathize with these residents. Much of Amsterdam is residential, and many of the city’s 166 coffee shops are in neighborhoods. Banning tourists from cannabis cafes, however, can only harm these businesses without actually addressing the larger problem of overtourism and rowdy behavior.

The owner of Greenhouse Cafe Joachim Helms is one of the many people who run cannabis cafes in Amsterdam who see this move as harmful. Nor does he believe that his customers are making a riot in town.

There are only eight cafes left where we are, and there are 500 places in the same zip code that serve alcohol.

Joachim Helms

Amsterdam for High Times Cannabis Cup

Overtoursim has long been an issue in Amsterdam as the city’s tourism authority has launched numerous awareness campaigns to remind tourists to behave appropriately after countless complaints from residents about noise, disturbance and disturbance.

It’s unlikely that cannabis cafes are the only spawning spots for these pesky tourists. Indeed, it appears that moralistic tendencies have skewed reforms into tackling the usual scapegoats: drugs and sex. This Bandaid solution ignores the fact that tourism, by its nature, has always been geared towards marketing unique local experiences to foreigners. Amsterdam’s reputation as a party city and liberal place will not go away. In fact, the proposed ban could only encourage tourists to opt for street vendors and other black market options.

It’s a cycle that is difficult to break. A travel destination can become a partying paradise for any reason, including its natural beauty, affordability, or unique laws (the Netherlands is one of the few places in Europe where you can easily buy cannabis). These destinations inadvertently take on a certain permissiveness in order to continue to attract tourists, which then perpetuates the notion that one can literally take a vacation from the ramifications of their actions. The residents, many of whom run tourist-oriented businesses and no doubt want to continue to attract tourists, then have to grapple with the consequences of the puked up streets and the increasingly uninhabitable neighborhoods.

This attitude “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas” plagues not only the Netherlands, but almost every travel destination in the world that is known for its nightlife and party culture: see Bali, Bangkok and Cancun. It is noteworthy that none of these places have (legal) cannabis cafes and that countries like Indonesia and Thailand are actually known for having some of the most restrictive laws in the world regarding cannabis that all too often arrest tourists even for minors possession .

It is understandable to want to blame something specific for overtourism in Amsterdam, be it drugs, alcohol, cultural differences or something else. The problem is that this blame game will be relocated to an area of ​​prohibition, which will have a negative impact on local businesses, while doing nothing to curb crime.

The city administration has to ask itself whether its image reform will ultimately only give Amsterdam a restrictive and punitive image that does not reflect the actual culture of the city. Fundamental questions about the country’s tourist approach and its own culture must also be asked. Aren’t cannabis cafes a part of Amsterdam culture? Aren’t they something the locals are proud of? Don’t local businesses benefit from cannabis tourism? Will these reforms end up harming the locals only?

When you are in Rome …

Photo by: Ehud Neuhaus

Perhaps the fairer solution is for tourists to monitor their own behavior. Countries will have laws and norms that range in the restrictive / permissive spectrum from draconian to utopian, and tourists will have to adapt.

The key to navigating is seeing yourself as a guest in someone else’s home. Apply the Golden Rule to travel just as you do to anything else in life. You wouldn’t treat your neighbor’s garden as your landfill.

The Amsterdam authorities are discussing various ways to control the overtourism problem, including increasing the police presence in key areas of the city. An increased police presence can mean more trouble than it’s worth, especially for locals who grapple with this reality every day.

The truth is that Amsterdam is unlikely to stop tourists from spending money in their cannabis cafes, especially during tough times like this. However, with city officials constantly reinvigorating the cannabis cafe ban debate, it can be assumed that they are doing their best to get the message across: behave yourself or otherwise.