The Netherlands banned the sale of marijuana to foreigners in May, forcing buyers to present a "weedpass" to prove that they are legal residents. They also forced people to join a nationwide registry to purchase weed from coffee shops. The government went to these extreme measures to prevent a large number of foreigners, especially those from Germany, from crossing the border to illegally purchase drugs.
However, the plan kind of backfired, increasing drug-related crime. It seems as though buyers weren't the only ones angry about the weedpass, as the Dutch News reports that the mayors from the nation's four largest cities—Amsterdam, The Hague, Rotterdam and Utrecht—were originally opposed to the weedpass.
It's supposed to go nationwide in January, and though buyers will no longer have to register, they'll still have to prove that they're legal residents of the state.
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[via Business Insider]
