The law banning the consumption of marijuana on the streets of Amsterdam’s Red Light District came into force on Thursday, writes Reuters. The decision comes after Femke Halsema, the city’s first female mayor, promised to reduce crime and the excessive use of drugs and alcohol.
Signs have been put up in the canal-crossed neighborhood known for its brothels, sex clubs and marijuana bars that attract millions of tourists a year but are a nuisance to residents.
People caught breaking the ban now face a €100 fine.
The city’s mayor, Femke Halsema, has promised to improve conditions for sex workers and reduce crime and excessive drug and alcohol use.
Discussions are underway to move sex and drug tourism out of the city centre, but there is opposition from residents in areas that have been proposed as alternatives.
People will still be allowed to smoke inside and on the patios of cafes that sell marijuana and hashish in the neighborhood and elsewhere in the city.
The consumption of small amounts of marijuana is legal in the Netherlands.
Editor : I.C
