Related Posts
No tourists allowed in Coffee Shops any more?
It seems probable that the Dutch government will establish a ‘membership card system’ for coffee shops during the first quarter of 2011. In this way coffee shops will become private clubs, only accessible for members. Only registered citizen of the Netherlands (also foreigners being officially registered here) can become members of these clubs. Thus coffee shop tourism in the border regions could become impossible soon. Since selling marihuana products is only tolerated but not regulated by law in the Netherlands, the regulation might differ from municipality to municipality. In the big cities in the centre of the Netherlands like Amsterdam the new system will probably not be established since it has been realized that coffee shops cleaned the streets from illegal drug markets.
Dirty grass
Again and again alarming impurities are found in marihuana throughout Europe. In Germany and Austria grass was diluted with glue recently: The plant looks like there are lots of crystals on it but it does not have a strong smell at all. Burning this grass will result in a strange smell, unusual smoke and black, oily residues. The material is heavier than the actual dried plant should be. Also impurities by hair spray and sand for bird cages are found frequently throughout Europe.
Research chemicals
Ecstasy pills and speed are diluted with research chemicals more and more often. These substances are often derivates of law-controlled dugs like MDMA for instance. Since they have a slightly different chemical structure, they are not effected by recent laws and therefore formally legal. But there are also entirely new substances, results of drug research. A popular example was Mephedrone, which is a drug according to the laws of most European countries today. Research chemicals can provoke heavy effects and side-effects and since they have not been examined properly, long-term effects are unknown. Currently there are pills containing 4-FA for instance.
