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Distributed for UCL Press

Grey Area

Regulating Amsterdam’s Coffeeshops

1st Edition

Distributed for UCL Press

Grey Area

Regulating Amsterdam’s Coffeeshops

1st Edition

Amsterdam’s Coffeeshops, which are local legal dispensaries for marijuana, are often given  as examples of Dutch tolerance. In fact, these dispensaries are highly regulated. On the premises, there cannot be minors, hard drugs, or more than 500 grams of marijuana. A coffeeshop cannot advertise, cause a nuisance, or sell more than 5 grams to a person in a day. These rules are enforced by surprise police checks, with violations punishable by closure.

In Grey Area, Scott Jacques examines the policy surrounding coffeeshops with a huge stash of data, which he collected during two years of fieldwork in Amsterdam. How do coffeeshop owners and staff obey the rules? How are the rules broken, and why? The stories and statistics show that order in the midst of smoke is key to Dutch drug policy, vaporizing the idea that prohibition is better than regulation. Grey Area is a timely contribution in light of the recent reforms to cannabis policy worldwide.
 

194 pages | 6.14 x 9.21 | © 2019

Free digital open access editions are available to download from UCL Press.


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Table of Contents

"Introduction The Law and Rules

1. 500 Grams

2. Advertising

3. Minors

4. 5 Grams

5. Hard Drugs

6. Nuisance

Conclusion The Utility of Rules "

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