Fined for Tobacco!

Cannabis User Fined for Smoking Tobacco


THE HAGUE, 24/09/08 - A 27 year old Amsterdammer has been fined for smoking a joint. Cannabis was not the problem; he broke the tobacco law.

The man is the owner of a 'coffee shop,' as the cannabis bars tolerated in the Netherlands are called. He lit a joint in his coffee shop. He was fined by a police officer because there was tobacco in the joint.

It has been forbidden to smoke in hotels, bars en restaurants (horeca) in the Netherlands since 1 July. The ban also applies to coffee shops. However, if a joint consisting entirely of cannabis or hash is smoked, this does not come under the tobacco ban.

A police spokesman confirmed yesterday that the man was fined. The reason was that he was not smoking a pure joint but one that also contained tobacco.

Monitoring compliance with the smoking ban in horeca is in the hands of the Food and Non-food Authority (VWA). "But if a police officer signals an infringement, he does not close his eyes to it," according to the police spokesman.

If the man does not pay the fine, his case will automatically be taken to court. This would for the first time produce a verdict on the seemingly clumsy construction that cannabis is not but tobacco is banned in coffee-shops.

Dutch news - Cannabis User Fined for Smoking Tobacco
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I rather pay a fine for smoking tobacco than marijuana, thats for sure!

That's wonderful.
Just a little step towards tobacco being illegal, and weed being legal.

good story. too bad it isn't like that everywhere.

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Originally Posted by 420_24/7

That's wonderful.
Just a little step towards tobacco being illegal, and weed being legal.

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While i do agree this story is wonderful, to be advocating that tobacco become prohibited is in a way, a premise for marijuana prohibition. Smoking anything is not good for the lungs. This is where personal choice comes into the equation. Say for instance tobacco was illegal, there would still be a black market, and illicit drug sales (illegal tobacco) would still exist.

It is nice to see such an inverse in law enforcement.

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Originally Posted by GoldenBoy812

While i do agree this story is wonderful, to be advocating that tobacco become prohibited is in a way, a premise for marijuana prohibition. Smoking anything is not good for the lungs. This is where personal choice comes into the equation. Say for instance tobacco was illegal, there would still be a black market, and illicit drug sales (illegal tobacco) would still exist.

It is nice to see such an inverse in law enforcement.

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I don't think either should be illegal, or have an age restriction for that matter, but given a choice between the two I think it makes a lot more sense for weed to be legal and tobacco to be illegal.

thats hilarious!
lets just hope the cops dont get carried away and start breaking up joints looking for tobacco

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Originally Posted by 420_24/7

I don't think either should be illegal, or have an age restriction for that matter, but given a choice between the two I think it makes a lot more sense for weed to be legal and tobacco to be illegal.

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coffee shops are there ONLY for weed smokers in the 1st place.

thus they make no difference to me say compared to a public restaurant with tobacco smoking ban at all.

2nd hand smoke DOES have adverse effects on people who are not willing to inhale it. they are there to smoke weed, everyone can agree on that and I for one would not want to inhale tobacco smoke that i have no control over.

and as for cops being carried away, i doubt u will ever see that in the Netherlands. cops petitioned themselves a while ago for being allowed to smoke weed in their non-duty time :D i donno where it got but im sure they asked to be allowed to smoke weed when not on the streets or in uniform.

I'm glad they fined him. Putting tobacco in with your weed *yeeach* filth habit. :P

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Originally Posted by Esoteric416

I'm glad they fined him. Putting tobacco in with your weed *yeeach* filth habit. :P

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i hate it. Like no possible way i can enjoy such a mix together at all. was offered rolled js like this @ occasions b4 and it just ruins the feelin. plus its just going to make your joint 10x more toxic and unhealthy

In principle i disagree with the tobacco ban, if he had been outside he wouldn't of got fined, it's his shop he should be able to smoke tobacco is he wants, i despise tobacco but banning someone's choice to smoke it in their own shop is too far for me.