Amsterdam institutes red light cannabis ban

While Thailand has turned into a cannabis-free-for-all, some have warned that legalisation leads to a destructive path to crime and degeneration. Those defending legislation have pointed to places where cannabis has been legal for years without becoming Sodom & Gomorrah, like some US states and, famously, Amsterdam.

But now authorities in Amsterdam have announced plans to ban street smoking of cannabis in the city’s red light district, beginning in mid-May. This move is part of a wider crackdown on anti-social behaviour and crime.

The red light district is a popular tourist destination and is known for its legal brothels – not exactly a pillar of virtue. But, the area has also seen a rise in urban crime and what officials described as anti-social behaviour, leading police to…