No more magic mushrooms for the Dutch

A Dutch law banning the possession and sale of magic mushrooms (hallucinogenic drugs) has come into force.
The Dutch parliament called for the ban after a 17-year-old French girl who had allegedly taken magic mushrooms jumped off a building and died last year. Until now there had been no restriction on the sale of the drug, which, being a natural product, was only subject to the same regulations as fruit and vegetables.


(Source: NRC Handelsblad, 29.11.08, page 2)



Details of the regulation are being made public on Monday by the public prosecutor's office. It is still unclear who will enforce the new rules, and what legal sanctions offenders will face.

The countrywide association of Netherlands Municipalities, VNG, says the police are lacking the capacity to take on this additional task. VNG says it's the responsibility of the Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority.

But this has become legally impossible because the mushrooms now fall under the remit of the so-called Opium Law, where it has been added to the list of illegal substances.



Source: Radio Netherlands