Coffeehouse

A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or cafe (also spelt café) shares some of the characteristics of a bar, and some of the characteristics of a restaurant. As the name suggests, coffeehouses focus on providing coffee and tea as well as light snacks. Other food may range from baked goods to soups and sandwiches, other casual meals, and light desserts. In some countries, cafes may more closely resemble restaurants, offering a range of hot meals, and possibly being licensed to serve alcohol. Many coffee houses in the Muslim world, and in Muslim districts in the West, offer shisha, powdered tobacco smoked through a hookah. In places where it is tolerated, notably the Netherlands, Christiania in Copenhagen, and certain parts of Canada, cannabis is enjoyed as well.

Cannabis coffee shops

Some coffee shops, however, especially in the Netherlands, are places where selling of cannabis for personal consumption by the public is tolerated by the local authorities. Any establishment advertising itself as a "coffeeshop" (as opposed to a café) in the Netherlands is likely primarily in the business of selling cannabis products and possibly other substances which are tolerated under the drug policy of the Netherlands.

Related Topics:
Netherlands - Cannabis - Drug policy of the Netherlands

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The selling of cannabis is tolerated (Dutch: gedoogd, that is: the law is not enforced) under the nationwide general rules:

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

• No alcohol
• No minors
• No hard drugs
• No advertisement
• No weapons

The rule about the sale of alcohol is less enforced now in some of the tourist areas of Amsterdam. In June 05 there were coffeeshops in the red light district openly selling alcohol and cannabis in the same shop. Others found ways round the rules e.g. the Greenhouse Effect Coffeeshop which has a coffee shop and bar, both called the Greenhouse Effect, and both of which allow customers to bring products from one in the other, to the extent of the bar having bongs for customer use.

Related Topics:
Alcohol - Tourist - Amsterdam - Cannabis

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

They are called coffee shops because since they do not have an alcohol serving licence, most do actually serve coffee. Coffeeshops are strongly controlled by the government, and any shop selling soft drugs to minors, or selling hard drugs at all, is immediately closed. These institutions provide non-contaminated (and hence relatively safe) cannabis products, which may not be true of dealers acting illegally. Cannabis and any food products containing cannabis are generally clearly identified to prevent accidental consumption.

Related Topics:
Alcohol - Hard drugs

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

(In the Netherlands, an outlet called a "koffiehuis", spelt with a k (literally "coffee house") is more similar to what is called a coffee shop in the U.S., whilst a "café" is the equivalent of a bar.) Dutch coffee shops often fly red-yellow-green Ethiopian flags or other symbols of the Rastafari movement to indicate that they sell cannabis, as direct advertising of cannabis sale is illegal. This aesthetic attracted many public artists who get commissions to create murals in the coffee shops and use the Rastafari and reggae related imagery to provoke public discussion about racial and multicultural issues.

Related Topics:
Bar - Ethiopian - Rastafari movement - Reggae

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Many municipalities have a coffee shop policy. For some this is a "zero policy", i.e. they do not allow any. Most of such municipalities are either controlled by strict Protestant parties, or are bordering Belgium and Germany and simply do not wish to receive "drug tourism" from those countries. A March 19, 2005 article in the Observer noted that the number of Dutch cannabis coffeehouses had dropped from 1,500 to 750 over the previous five years, largely due to pressure from the conservative coalition government http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2005/03/19/2003246907. The "no-growth" policies of many Dutch cities affect new licensing. This policy slowly reduces the number of coffeeshops, since no one can open a new one after a closure.

Related Topics:
Protestant - Belgium - Germany - Drug tourism - 2005

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In nearby Denmark it seems that the coffee shops in the Freetown Christiania will be abolished in 2005 or 2006, as part of the wider issues involved with Free Christiania.

Related Topics:
Denmark - Freetown Christiania - 2005 - 2006

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~