Originally Posted by amsterdemmetje

I have lived there for 7 years and am married to Dutch woman for 13 and a Ive been telling people this for years. The only thing they see is the hookers and the coffee shops, they seem to know nothing else about Holland.

To be fair is there much more? O yeah, the canals, the windmills and, ... and ... and ...

Originally Posted by Public_Savant

To be fair is there much more? O yeah, the canals, the windmills and, ... and ... and ...

I believe there may have been an artist or two and possibly a few composers.

If we decriminalise drugs what level of addiction are we liable to have to put up with?

Originally Posted by shiel

If we decriminalise drugs what level of addiction are we liable to have to put up with?

About on par with the addiction to alcohol, possibly a bit less. Why?

Originally Posted by shiel

If we decriminalise drugs what level of addiction are we liable to have to put up with?

From cannabis decriminalisation, virtually no addiction problems. From the Dutch results, within 5-10 years less incidence of casual cannabis use. More police time can be freed to pursue harder/more dangerous drugs like heroin or cocaine.

The focus on Maastricht is because it's a 20 minute drive to Germany or Belgium. The problem is drug tourism and policing that is a serious problem. Would it make sense for police in ireland to focus on heroin and cocain trafficking instead of arresting someone with a cannabis cigarette? There are always limits to resources in healthcare and policing, and so they should be used to have maximum positive impact.

In Ireland, they are illegal, and as such we have ....more drug use than a country that decriminalised it. There is nothing moral about it. It's simply a matter of practicality (and as such will be long ignore in Irish politics).

Originally Posted by amsterdemmetje

Germans with a funny accent you say, if you live in Flanders then Im surprised you would say such a thing about the Dutch. Theirs a lot more to Holland than coffee shops and pot heads . They maybe neighbors of the Germans but by jaysus there a million miles away from them in every other way.

I've spent at least one day a week in Utrecht for over 10 years now and know Holland very well, the best way to wind them up is to call them a German province, thankfully my Dutch friends have a better sense of humour than you!

The lurch rightwards in Holland goes far beyond potheads, which is an irrelevance in the bigger scheme, a lot of Dutch friends of mine feel that a lot of the openness that made the Dutch one of the greatest trading nations is being lost with the changing political scene.

Holland is very beautiful scenery agreed

Especially Amsterdam with all the windmills ect

It is a fact that their laws on cannabis have cut down on crime hugely and probably saved many lives.

Originally Posted by Verhofstadt

I've spent at least one day a week in Utrecht for over 10 years now and know Holland very well, the best way to wind them up is to call them a German province, thankfully my Dutch friends have a better sense of humour than you!

The lurch rightwards in Holland goes far beyond potheads, which is an irrelevance in the bigger scheme, a lot of Dutch friends of mine feel that a lot of the openness that made the Dutch one of the greatest trading nations is being lost with the changing political scene.

. I didnt know this post was directed at your dutch freinds, next time put up an auld smiley and i might get the humor.Its easy