A judge in The Hague ruled that marijuana can no longer be sold to foreigners after May 1 in parts of The Netherlands. Amsterdam will be excluded from the ruling until next year. He based his ruling on the grounds that the foreigners who were attracted by access to marijuana were a source of crime.
The ruling has come during a period in which legalizing the use of marijuana is being debated in the US. It is being opposed in The Netherlands by the coffee shop owners whose businesses will be affected. It is also being opposed by those who argue that discrimination against foreign residents is illegal. Many of them believe that it is in violation of the traditional libertarian ethic in The Netherlands.
It will be interesting to see how libertarians in the US respond to the legalization debate. I doubt that the typical Tea Party member will support legalization. There are limits to their libertarian views. Many in this group come from the same segments of US society that supported prohibition against the use of alcohol.
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