The city of Amsterdam is banning outdoor marijuana smoking in its famous red-light district, reports Bloomberg.
Members of Amsterdam’s city council voted on 10 May to impose a EUR 100 fine on anyone who smoking weed on the streets of the central district, Margriet Luttikhuizen, a spokesperson for the municipality of the Dutch capital, told Bloomberg. The ban will take effect from 25 May and will be enforced by police and local officials, said Luttikhuizen.
Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema is pushing for a reform of the red-light district to reduce nuisance behaviour and organised crime in the city centre. The city is also considering a new location for an erotic centre outside the district. “The ban is part of a broader set of measures aiming to reduce nuisance, improve the residents’ night’s sleep and increase the livability and safety,” Luttikhuizen said.
While cannabis is not legal in the Netherlands, possession of up to five grams is decriminalised. Licensed “coffee shops” are allowed to sell small amounts of the drug to people over 18.