Author: Andy Cornish
Cannabis smokers on a city break to Amsterdam are fuming at a new Dutch smoking law which bans tobacco from Amsterdam coffee shops.
Millions flock to Amsterdam's coffeeshops every year to buy cannabis and hash over the counter and to smoke it without fear of arrest.
But a new law anti-smoking lae effectively bans tobacco being smokes in public places, including cafes and restaurants. It means cannabis users must now light up pipes of pure marijuana instead of mixing it with tobacco.
Many coffeeshop owners fear the tobacco ban will hit a trade estimated to have a turnover of £1.6 million a year. They are concerned that cannabis smokers will move out onto the streets and prompt a crackdown by police.
The Dutch association of coffeeshop owners has branded the move "absurd". They point out that in most countries it is illegal to smoke marijuana in your cigarette while in Amsterdam it now illegal to have tobacco with your marijuana.
Marijuana is still illegal in Holland although authorities in Amsterdam turn a blind eye to selling and smoking small amounts in dedicated cafes.