Tobacco is out; marijuana is still OK. It's a puzzle, but California has its peculiarities too.

 The Netherlands is among the last in the European Union to impose a smoking ban in restaurants. Or rather, a cigarette ban. Make it a tobacco ban. Because while the smoking of conventional cigarettes was officially forbidden starting last week, marijuana is still allowed at the 720 cafes where it already was in wide use. Of course, marijuana is illegal, even in the Netherlands, but the country's policy of "geodegen" calls for turning a blind eye to its own law. In fact, the special cannabis cafes are licensed to sell small amounts for consumption on the premises, where it is understood that customers will not be arrested or even questioned by police. Unless, that is, they mix it with tobacco. The Dutch prefer to blend their marijuana with tobacco for a smoother smoke. And now that is illegal.

But before we chuckle at the Dutch pot paradox, we should check out the puzzling ways of cannabis in California. Marijuana is legal in California for medicinal use but illegal according to U.S. law. Last year, federal drug agents raided five medical marijuana clinics in West Hollywood, one of the handful of California cities that have instructed their police to make even recreational marijuana arrests their lowest priority. A Garden Grove police officer confiscated a driver's medicinal marijuana, but a judge last year ordered it returned because its possession was legal under state law -- though a federal agent acting under federal laws would have had the right to take it.

"Coffee shops will be treated in the same manner as other catering businesses," Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende told public broadcaster NOS after the government issued its decision on Friday. "It would have been wrong to move towards a smoke-free catering industry and then make an exception for coffee shops. People would not have understood that."
Perversely, the law, intended to protect workers from smoke, only applies to tobacco. In the Netherlands, that has resulted in a rather bizarre result: Smoking pot or hashish in coffee shops will remain legal; it just can't be mixed with tobacco. If someone wants to roll their joint with tobacco, then they have to smoke it outside. "If an official comes into a coffee shop and sees someone smoking a joint, he must confiscate it and send it to a lab to test whether it contains tobacco. It's such an arduous procedure that it is going to create numerous problems. I don't think they will apply it very strictly during the first year." - Mark Jacobsen of BCD, a nationwide association of coffee shop owners. Jacobsen feels the world has been turned on its head in Holland. "In every other country they do just the opposite -- there they check whether there is cannabis inside," he says with a laugh.

To enforce the new policy, the government has more than doubled its number of food and consumer product inspectors to 200, said Bob Kiel, a spokesman for the Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority. The agents will make unannounced visits to bars, restaurants and cafes, as well as coffee shops. There are no guidelines to help inspectors distinguish between a mixed joint and a pure one, he said. Smoking marijuana with tobacco will merit coffee shop owners a 300-euro ($466) fine for the first offense and 2,400 euros for a fourth.

You can Still Have Your Joint, but Only if it's Pure!

Lorna Clay, manager of the Cannabis College in Amsterdam, a nonprofit organization that distributes information about marijuana usage said some of Amsterdam's 226 coffee shops have invested in new kinds of pipes and vaporizers to encourage pure cannabis use. But she said other coffee house owners have no intention of stopping customers from smoking mixed joints.These owners argue that the city's renowned coffee shops are one of the main reasons why so many tourists visit.The new law comes on the heels of another change in what's thought to be a major Dutch tourist draw — legalized prostitution.The sex trade is regulated and is mostly confined to red-light districts.City officials announced last year that they would tighten rules in an effort to stop money laundering and trafficking in women.

 
Here is a small introduction to how theese coffee shops works:

Coffee shops are not allowed to advertise, so you won't see a big sign saying "Marijuana for Sale". If you don't see a dealer's booth, just go up to the bar and ask to see the 'menu'. You will be presented with a list of the various different grasses and hashes available at a range of prices. A strict minimum age of 18 is enforced. Cannabis prices vary according to shop location and type. Prices are in Euros per gram and are presented as a guideline only:

 
The possession of up to 30 grams (about an ounce) is permitted. You can only buy 5 grams at a time, though, so you could be asked to explain if you are carrying more than 5 grams. Regulations for coffee shops include:

In the early days, coffee shops sold mostly imported hashish (cannabis resin). Nowadays Dutch-grown grass dominates most menus (although hash is still available). The famous 'skunk' originated in America. When it was introduced into the Netherlands, the more relaxed environment and endemic Dutch horticultural skills led to this variety being further improved. Although Holland's climate is not particularly conducive to growing marijuana, the use of artificial lighting for indoor growing has become highly advanced. There are now hundreds of named varieties of seeds available and large-scale cultivation supplies the coffee shops with a good range of exotic herbs. Growing up to half-a-dozen marijuana plants for home consumption is, effectively, legal. Commercial growing is, however, still illegal so the 'grow rooms' that supply the coffeeshops are still very secretive.

The Dutch (tobacco) smoking ban began on July 1.