As the mayor of Amsterdam, I can see the Netherlands risks becoming a narco-state
We’re proud of our health-led drugs policy, but the rise of the global illegal drugs trade means we need international solutions
Friday, January 5, 2024
In the Netherlands, we used to look on the international “war on drugs” with a certain amount of disdain. Its solutions were prohibition, criminalisation, stiff penalties and sentences; our national drug policy, on the other hand, focused for decades on reducing the health risks for users – and was relatively successful. Amsterdam, as an international financial hub, now serves as a marketplace where the demand for drugs is being determined, and negotiations and payments are being made from all over the world. It has become a destination for drug lords to launder their money or channel it to tax havens. Their money is increasingly contaminating the legal economy, especially in real estate, business services and hospitality. (See also: Amsterdam mayor wants Europe to decriminalize cocaine: “War on drugs isn’t working)
