Drugs & Alcohol at Ecotopia

We, the Ecotopia-hosts ask all participants to refrain from drugs and alcohol during the day.

If you would like to come to the Netherlands and be stoned for two weeks, please book a room in a youth hostel in Amsterdam and do not come to Ecotopia.

Ecotopia works on the basis of participation and creation of a sustainable community. In order to do so, the day is filled with workshops, debates, activities and some chores. As using drugs tend to make you see life from many different and perhaps interesting perspectives, it also turns you quite boring and inactive to those around you.

As many people all over the world know, the Netherlands hosts a somewhat liberal drugs policy. Whereas you can get hashish and marihuana everywhere in the world, in the Netherlands some drugs are not completely illegal. Under certain conditions you are allowed to use so called 'soft drugs' such as Marihuana and hashish, as well as magic mushrooms and other herbal drugs.

Hard drugs and chemical drugs such as cocaine, heroine, xtc, are strictly prohibited.

It is illegal to sell any type of drugs on the festival, and we as organizers could get into a lot of trouble with the public authorities if it does happen. SO DON'T SELL ANY DRUGS ON THE FESTIVAL!

Please notice that if you plan to smoke a joint in the evening: Joints in the Netherlands are on average 4 to 5 times stronger than whatever you get anywhere else. For more info on the effects of (soft-) drugs; check: http://www.jellinek.nl/tourists

From dinner to midnight there will be a bar, selling organic beer, wine and juice.

Dutch history on drugs:

From the early sixties of the previous century, more and more drugs became available in Western Europe. In some cases this lead to serious problems and Governments took actions. In the Netherlands various discussions and research lead to a new Narcotics Act in 1976. In 1976 the Narcotics Act has distinguished two types of drugs:

• drugs that pose unacceptable risks to public health (hard drugs such as heroin, cocaine, XTC and amphetamines) and

• and hemp products (soft drugs: hashish and marijuana). Certain herbal drugs, such as mushrooms also fall under this category. Possession, dealing, sales, production and so forth have been made punishable for all drugs.

SO to unmask a wide spread myth: Drugs are NOT legal in the Netherlands!

However, the Dutch Government has taken the approach of tacit approval or 'gedogen' as we call it towards the possession of small amounts (max. 5 grams) of the second category, the so-called soft drugs. It is not legal, but you are not likely to be charged with any offence. Priority is given to investigate im/export and sales of hard drugs.

In almost every city or village in the Netherlands you can find a so-called coffee shop. These places have a license from the local authorities, and are allowed to sell these small amounts of soft drugs under strict conditions.

Arguments defending the Dutch Drug policy

The Dutch drugs policy has generated much debate and caused quite some disagreements with our neighbouring States as well as on a wider global scale.

When in a fight with fellow EU-members, or other states opposing 'our' policy, the Dutch drugs policy is defended as a policy of realism and pragmatism.

Realism in the sense that drugs are and will continuously be available in an open society and that, consequently, drug use and drug addiction are also inevitable. This understanding resulted in an active harm reduction policy, aimed primarily at reducing the risks involved in drug use, risks to the users themselves as well as to their immediate environment and to society as a whole.

Pragmatism because when accepting drug use is accepted as a reality, the ideal of a drug free society has been set aside. Instead, the problem is approached in a practical manner. Goal is to keep drug use under control as much as possible, and to minimise the negative effects of drug use. An example of the pragmatism of Dutch drug policy is the toleration of sale of small quantities of cannabis products. Separation of the markets for soft and hard drugs can be seen as a preventive measure: it creates an environment in which youngsters who experiment with cannabis are less likely to be confronted with selling and use of hard drugs.

On the website of the Dutch ministry of health you can find another reason why the Dutch Government is pursuing this policy; 'The Dutch policy on drugs has been reasonably successful compared to the policies pursued in other countries, especially when it comes to prevention and care. The number of users of various types of drugs is no greater than in other countries, while the figure for drug-related deaths, at 2.4 per million inhabitants, is the lowest in Europe.'

More info on the website of the ministry of Public Health