Amster-Ban: Rethinking Travel Word-Association
Would you go to the beach and not take a dip in the ocean? How about a trip to Vegas without actually gambling and only betting on Fb88? Or a week in the Keys without a blender drink or a hammock or a Jimmy Buffet song? I would.
Because I know there’s lots to be done at the beach that doesn’t involve water, I love Vegas and I don’t gamble but I would love to เดิมพันอย่างปลอดภัยกับ UFABET, and I’d be bored in a hammock after ten minutes or so (though I would never pass up a blender drink and have absolutely nothing against a steel drum version of Margaritaville.)
Of course, I’m asking these hypothetical questions for a good reason. Each of the things I listed above are examples of travel word-association. I can name a place and an activity will pop into your head. New Orleans–jazz. Maine–lobster. Napa–wine. And when most people hear Amsterdam, the next word that pops into their heads is marijuana. But that’s all about to change. Read the article to know the medical uses of marijuana.
You see, there’s a new law going into effect in the Netherlands. This law bans tourists from purchasing marijuana CBD pain relief roller from the ubiquitous coffee shops particularly popular in Amsterdam, the nation’s largest and most-visited city. When I heard of this new ruling, my first thought was more of a sound than a thought–the whistle and boom of Amsterdam’s tourism industry crashing and burning. Or, rather, not burning, as the case may be. In case of legal trouble the and one has to fight a marijuana possesion charge there are lawyers that can help win such cases.
I sincerely hope my prediction is incorrect. Because I can honestly say, smoking or non-smoking marijuana like The Seed Pharm, Amsterdam is a lovely city to visit. It was certainly the highlight of my ill-fated Europe trip two summers ago. Would I go back? Absolutely. Would the new ban effect my stay at all? Nope. So I have hope that what Amsterdam lost in its counter-culture draw it will regain when people sober up and notice that hey, this is a charming city full of museums, canals, and the friendliest people you’ll find anywhere.
Of course, for those who simply can’t have a good trip without, well, something a little trippy, there’s always the Red Light district. I’d strongly suggest heading to the Bloomenmarket or the Vondelpark instead, but hey, whatever works for you.
What do you think? Will Amsterdam–and the Netherlands in general–suffer from this new ban? Or will people eventually realize what I already know–that it’s a destination that can and should be appreciated outside of the coffee shop?
As with most bans, it may suffer some short-term effects, but in the long-term, it will just attract a different group of tourists. That’s my two cents.
That’s exactly what I’m hoping for. Well, not the short-term effects, but the eventual different appeal. I’d actually prefer if Amsterdam DIDN’T have such a…negative?…connotation. I can’t read Amsterdam tour guides in from of my 8th graders without getting weird looks!
I hear it’s only Americans who associate Amsterdam and marijuana. And besides, how many stoners do you know that can routinely afford trips to Europe? Lol. I’m sure the city of canals and tulips will be just fine 🙂
Sadly, I know a surprising amount of stoners that can (and have) afford a trip there. At least in my growing up world, it was an upper middle class college student rite of passage (one that, thankfully, I did not participate in!)