Dichiarazione di Marco Cappato, Presidente del Gruppo Radicale-Federalista europeo a Milano e Tesoriere dell'Associazione Luca Coscioni

A partire dal 1° maggio i Coffe-shop (i locali dove si può comprare e consumare legalmente hashish e marijuana) delle provincie meridionali dell'Olanda chiuderanno le porte ai tutti gli stranieri, ai quali sarà semplicemente impedito di entrare.

Segue comunicato stampa in inglese dell'associazione dei Coffe-shops sull'iniziativa

Press Release VOCM (VOCM | Vereniging Officiële Coffeeshops Maastricht)
Maastricht coffeeshops continue to refuse the weedpass

MAASTRICHT - The coffeeshops of Maastricht united in the VOCM, stick with their refusal to cooperate with the weedpass. Chairman Marc Josemans: "Too much is still unclear. About the privacy aspects, but also on the exact requirements of the Minister. Therefore we will not register customers and continue to sell to anyone aged 18 and older who can identify himself. "

It is still unclear which persons and entities will be authorized to have insight into the mandatory membership of the coffeeshop. Besides, the minister of security and justice indicated on April 27 that he will put aside the critical observations of the Council for Data Protection (CBP) of April 18. The VOCM is a principle opponent of
mandatory registration and permanent storage of personal data. Especially when one considers that at present no clarification has been provided to the consumer nor the coffeeshop concerning the question who will be allowed to have access to these data on behalf of the authorities, and what may be done with these data.

The lawsuit
The VOCM pursues a dual policy on May 1st, the day the enforcement of the new rules will start in Southern Netherlands. At 10.15 AM, Chairman Josemans will refuse a small number of non-residents access to his coffee shop, Easy Going, so they can report him to the police for discrimination. Immediately thereafter at 11.00 AM, the sale will continue as usual to non-residents and residents who do not wish to register. All VOCM members will refuse to discriminate and to register. Josemans: "If mayor Hoes will actually enforce the new rules consequently, it is quite possible that all VOCM coffeeshops will be closed for a month from next week onwards. Then we will really have a problem in the city, I think. "

Drug Runners
Maastricht is now faced with drug runners who have never been spotted in the city before, coming from Liege, eastern Europe and northern France. They are using flyers that were issued by the city of Maastricht in order to lure tourists! Thus we are rapidly returning to a long gone past where a separation of markets for cannabis and hard drugs did not exist and dealers were controlling the streets.

Symbolic policies
The VOCM agrees with the dozens of mayors, city councils and MPs, many scientists, centers for addiction and consumer organizations who consider the weed pass and the closed club as counterproductive, symbolic policies. The new rules will not lead to less but to more public nuisance and crime. Hundreds of jobs are being sacrificed to a project that is doomed to fail and only benefits the illegal circuit. The losers are the residents of our city, the shopkeepers and the many satisfied smokers who come here since many years to buy cannabis without any inconvenience in a safe, controlled environment, where all rules are strictly followed.

One thing is clear: it will be a hot summer. According to the VOCM, the weedpass and the closed club belong to the heritage of the failed government of demissionary PM Rutte. Josemans: "Let's forget this right wing hobby and focus on the real problem: the lack of a regulated supply of the coffeeshop (the backdoor). This is the
Achilles heel of the Dutch cannabis policy. When we will finally start to regulate the cultivation of cannabis and supply to the coffeeshops, we will kill three flies with one strike: significantly less crime, huge profits for public health and one billion euro a year extra in the national treasure. "

More information can be found on the website of the Union for the
Abolition of Cannabis Prohibition: www.voc-nederland.org