Rotterdam, Holland, Will Allow Cannabis Cafes and Dispensaries
The town council of Rotterdam announced its decision to allow the sale of cannabis as well as its on-site consumption within town limits. Previously, Rotterdam’s residents and guests had to go to other jurisdictions if they wanted to purchase their weed in a legal way.
The reasons for the change of policy were purely financial: “city fathers” decided that taxing cannabis sales would provide a significant revenue stream to fund various public services. The residents can still opt out before the end-of-year deadline if there is enough opposition.
Conservative Approach Did Not Prevail So Far
The town hasn’t held any public meeting to discuss the proposal. However, the question had been debated during regular town meetings, and local school districts had voiced their concern on several occasions.
Both of Rotterdam’s school districts made it clear earlier this month that they did not think it was a good idea to have retail shops and coffee shops selling cannabis. In November, the mayor of Amsterdam proposed to ban tourists from cannabis cafes as their rowdy behavior had become a serious public nuisance.
Although they expressed their doubts, the representatives of schools said they trusted the elected officials to adopt the best course of action.
Schools Fail to Detect Marijuana Use By Students
Another major concern that bothers educators is that there are now so many new forms to consume cannabis in addition to smokables. The Superintendant of Mohonasen school district Shannon Shine told The Daily Gazette that the proliferation of edibles, THC vape pens, and “dabs” made it very hard to detect cannabis use on school grounds.
Shine also said she was concerned with the increased potency of cannabis products. She thought it was likely that the use of the substance was on the rise in schools.
