AllAmsterdam

Amsterdam is well known for its liberal legislation. I have noticed though, that many people exagerate the freedom to, somtimes, grotesque proportions. Whenever you visit a city in a foreign country it is always a good idea to inform yourself about the local laws and rules. In Amsterdam's case this can be a difficult task, therefore this article will try to be a basic guide to the Dutch legislation and other specific things you should know about Amsterdam.

Softdrugs
In the Netherlands we distinguish two types of drugs: soft- and harddrugs. By law both of them are illegal, but the fact we subdivided the drugs, lead us to having a unique drugs-policy. As said, softdrugs (cannabis, like hash and weed) are illegal. The Dutch politics reasoned that softdrugs do not have physically addiction symptoms and therefore we allow limited forms of possession and trade in softdrugs. The specific rules are as follows:

• You are not allowed to possess more than 5 grams of cannabis. Possessing more is interpreted as if you want to trade it, which is illegal.
• A coffeeshop can only sell softdrugs, and never more than 5 grams, only people that are at least 18 years old have access to a coffeeshop.
• If one possesses 5 cannabis plants or less, one shall not be prosecuted. The key in this case is whether you grow cannabis plants for trade or for own use. Trade is illegal.

The paradox in the Dutch drugs-policy is that the growing and trading of large amounts of softdrugs is illegal and not allowed, still coffeeshops need to get their stuff. They usually get their goods by, what is usually referred to as, the backdoor of a coffeeshop.

Harddrugs
The possession and trading of harddrugs like cocaine, heroine, XTC, etc... are not allowed in the Netherlands. When you are going to Amsterdam you should not have the illusion that you can take XTC, or buy cocaine, without the risk of be arrested. Even though it's said that by far most XTC is being produced in the Netherlands, it's still illegal.
I would also like to mention that taking harddrugs in general is not a good idea. In many countries they don't really seem to have a good supply of information about it, they just say everything is bad and illegal. So before you take harddrugs you should know what you are doing, cocaine and XTC are not innocent at all. I'm not even mentioning heroin, assuming everyone already knows its dangers.

Prostitution
Since October 1st, 2000 prostitution is regarded as a normal profession and therefore it was legalised. Local governments are allowed to point out locations where prostitution will be allowed. The minimum age for working in the prostitution business is 18.
The reason for legalising prostitution was especially to take the branch out of the claws of remorseless criminals. It's argues that many problems were not solved though, there are still problems with forced prostitution and people younger than 18 in the business. Something else that most probably disappoints the government is that prostitutes seem to not always pay their taxes.

Alcohol
From the age of 18 you are allowed to purchase any type of alcohol. If you are older than 16 you can only buy drinks with a lower substance of alcohol. If you get stopped by the police in your car with more than 0,5 parts of alchohol to a thousant, you will not just get fined, but you will be prosecuted. Driving with too much alcohol is seen as a crime.

Identification
If the authorities have a valid reason, everyone in the Netherlands, older than 14 years old, have to be able to identify themselves. Therefore, as a tourist, you should always have a valid means to identify yourself:

• EU citizens can identify themselves with their EU passports.
• Non-EU citizens need a 'verblijfsdocument' (Dutch Aliens Document / Residence Permit).

Other cards with your name, like public transportation cards or whatever, are not seen as valid.

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