Dutch told they can ban sale of drugs to tourists

THE Netherlands can ban over-the-counter sales of marijuana in Dutch “coffee shops” to non-residents to end drugs tourism from Ireland, Belgium, France, Germany and other countries, a senior adviser to the European Union high court said yesterday.

Tens of thousands of people travel from Ireland annually to visit the world-famous cafes.

Yves Bot, the high court’s advocate general, said that, while selling soft drugs is legal in Holland, it is illegal elsewhere in the EU, which means products such as marijuana fall outside the protection of the free movement of goods across the 27-nation bloc.