Amsterdam - “It's time,” the slogan was with which the Serbian protest movement OTPOR started her successful campaign against the fraudulent reelection of Milosevic in 2000. The same now applies to actions to save coffee shops and our cannabis culture. 2012 will be the year of truth.

In the letter that Minister Opstelten sent to the House of commons on 15 December last year, he argues that the weed pass will be entered in the three southern provinces on January 1, but only will be maintained from May 1. The VOC responded the same day with a press release in which spokesman Joep Oomen characterizes the letter as a legal patchwork. Oomen: 'The letter contains no concrete answers to the many questions asked ​​by officials of the South Dutch municipalities in recent months, who will have to face the weed pass first. The Minister has provided legal patchwork; for example, the letter refers to two different dates on which the measure would be introduced: January 1st and May 1st, 2012.'

Demonstration

Instead of answers to questions about practicability and legal feasibility of all his plans, Opstelten creates even more confusion with his letter. Joep Oomen: 'The weed pass is intended mainly as a pet topic of this minister, who stubbornly clings to the illusion that he is able to reduce crime and nuisance with it. The opposite is true, and more and more municipal officials become convinced of that. For the real problem, the still completely illegal and uncontrolled supply of the coffee shops, the plans offer not even the beginning of a solution. For dealers, the weed pass a gift from heaven, they pop the champagne corks today. 'A few days before the letter of Opstelten, PvdA Venlo started the campaign' Stop the weed pass,” including a digital petition. The VOC wholeheartedly supports this action. If you have not signed yet, do so today: http://stopdewietpasnu.petities.nl/

Convulsions

This government fights a war from the past, but as more often, the last throes of the ancient regime are the fiercest. If Opstelten gets his way, the coffee shops will be history within one year. Good news for dealers and perhaps also for grow shops and seed merchants, but bad news for the cannabis consumer. Therefore, those consumers need to get into action. No longer be discriminated submissively and be pushed into a corner by politics. Sign the petition against the weed pass, write letters to your local politicians and media, and come out of the closet as a blower. The VOC can help you with that. At the same time, you can help the VOC by becoming active as a volunteer. For example, for the fourth edition of Cannabis Liberation Day in Amsterdam on Sunday June 17th this year. Of course, you can also support the VOC financially, with a donation or by buying VOC mini microscopes, rolling papers or DVDs of the Cannabis Tribunal. It's time.