Amsterdam bans cannabis from its famous red light district

Amsterdam will soon ban marijuana from the famous red-light district as part of the city’s new regulations.

The new laws, which were announced yesterday, will come into force from mid-May and aim to improve the quality of life of local residents, who have long complained about nuisance from tourists, reports the BBC.

Local media reported that most councilors supported measures to reduce nuisance for local residents.

The city council announced that under the new laws, restaurants and bars will have to close at 2am on Fridays and Saturdays, the old town will close to new visitors from 1am and sex workers will have to close their businesses at 3am.

“The atmosphere gets somber, especially at night,” a city spokesperson said in a press release.

“Many people are under the influence of drugs [of drugs and alcohol] and stay there for a long time. This is at the expense of the residents who get a good night’s sleep and the quality of life and safety of the entire district.”

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The sale of alcohol is already prohibited from Thursday to Sunday after 16:00 in shops, liquor stores and cafes in the red light district.

As part of the new laws, vendors will also have to completely remove or hide alcohol from their shop windows during this time.

In the Dutch capital, it is illegal to consume alcohol in most public areas.

Amsterdam is a popular tourist destination with millions of visitors each year, many of whom travel to the city for its marijuana festivals.

These cafes sell marijuana under strict conditions – as long as the cafes do not harass their neighbors.

Local residents have complained that tourists attract drug dealers and that both drug and alcohol abuse are driving up the city’s crime rate.

The possession, manufacture or trade in drugs is currently a criminal offense in the Netherlands, with the exception of the cafe, which operates under the ‘tolerance policy’.

Between 16:00 and 01:00 from Thursday to Sunday evening, the smoking of cannabis is also prohibited in public spaces in the city centre.

If this is not possible, the municipality will also consider a smoking ban outside cafes.

The government has already cracked down on cannabis cafe harassment by banning tourists altogether.

The city of Amsterdam also plans to launch a “stay away” campaign in the coming months, targeting tourists who come to the capital for drugs, alcohol or sex.