Complaints spark cannabis ban on streets in The Hague’s city centre

THE Hague has banned cannabis smoking on streets in its centre and is targeting English-speaking tourists to stamp out drug-fuelled, antisocial behaviour.

After complaints from residents, using marijuana will be forbidden in major shopping areas and the central railway station in the seat of Dutch government, as the Netherlands continues to toughen up its traditionally liberal approach to the drug.

Cannabis is sold openly in 573 coffee shops, which can sell the drug but not produce it, in 103 of the 380 municipalities in the Netherlands, including The Hague.

Flyers have been distributed around the city’s coffee shops and homeless shelters, and an English language version has been given to the city’s hotels and hostels to warn tourists.

Flouting the ban, which comes into force this weekend, will result in fines if initial warnings are ignored.

A spokesman for Pauline Krikke, the mayor of The Hague, said that the ban was needed after “many complaints from residents and visitors” about the smell of cannabis and noise from drug users.