Amsterdam to ban cannabis use in its red-light district

The Amsterdam city council has declared that smoking cannabis in public in the red-light district will soon become prohibited. 

This is part of a series of regulations aimed at curbing excessive tourist behavior and improving the quality of life for affected residents. 

According to the council, residents in the old city center are experiencing persistent disturbance due to the large crowds and associated problems that come with mass tourism and substance abuse in public areas. 

Despite the legality of both prostitution and marijuana in the Netherlands, the authorities are working to tackle ‘overtourism’ in the capital.

In 2014, a former mayor tried to ban marijuana cafes in the red-light district, and since then, the government has increased taxes on hotel rooms and short-term rentals. 

The ban will take effect in May and is one of many changes being made to the historic neighborhood. 

The municipality is also cracking down on the sale of alcohol after 4 p.m. from Thursday to Sunday and restaurants and bars will have to close by 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. 

No new visitors will be allowed into the old city center after 1 a.m.

Currently, the sale of alcohol from liquor stores, cafes, and shops in the red-light district is illegal from Thursday to Sunday after 4 p.m. 

The council will now ask vendors to either remove alcohol from their premises or conceal it from view during that time. 

The “We Live Here” campaign has been running for a number of years with the aim of informing visitors that the red light district is a residential area where ordinary people reside.

The most recent campaign, the “stay away” initiative, was introduced towards the end of last year, and it aims to actively discourage international tourists who have plans to indulge in reckless behavior while visiting Amsterdam.

In addition, the council is considering banning smoking on the terraces of coffee shops in the future.