Dutch towns ban day ‘trippers’

The possession of up to five grams of marijuana or hashish is allowed in the Netherlands, and thousands of tourists cross the border every day to visit marijuana cafés.

To limit traffic jams and thwart German, Belgian and French dealers who purchase drugs to sell illegally in their own countries, the towns of Maastricht and Terneuzen voted to limit sales to residents only. The ban was challenged in Dutch courts as an illegal restriction of EU trade, but the court upheld the towns’ decisions.