Mayor of Amsterdam Calls for Drug Legalization

In a bold interview, Femke Halsema, the mayor of Amsterdam, declared that drug legalization is the inevitable solution to address the negative impacts of the illicit drug trade.
Amsterdam has become one of the most visited cities in the world, with nearly 10 million tourists staying there last year, exceeding pre-COVID levels. The city is known for its liberal policies around cannabis and sex work, which have drawn many foreign visitors. However, Halsema argues that Amsterdam’s “real problem is prohibition” and that the answer lies in more liberalization of drug laws.
The mayor wants to end the Netherlands’ “halfway policy” on cannabis, where coffee shops can sell it but cannot legally buy it, forcing them to source from criminal gangs. She believes the booming illegal cocaine trade is fueling serious problems in the city, particularly in poorer neighbourhoods where “many, many youngsters” are being “seduced into organized crime”. High-profile murders have been linked to the drug trade, and Halsema is concerned that Amsterdam’s financial sector is being “knowingly infected” by criminal money.
Halsema’s solution is not complete legalization, but a “medical model” where drugs like cocaine would only be available through pharmacies, making them harder to obtain. “Well, it is very easy to buy cocaine. You can call someone and they deliver it to your home – not only in Amsterdam, everywhere,” she says.
The mayor acknowledges that legalizing drugs would face significant backlash, as “most people in the Netherlands are afraid of drugs.” However, she believes that “in time, drug legalization is inevitable” and that it is necessary to end the “hypocrisy” between the acceptance of alcohol and the criminalization of other substances.

Halsema’s bold vision for drug policy reform reflects the growing momentum behind legalization globally, as governments grapple with the failures of the “war on drugs.” While the path forward may be complex, the mayor of Amsterdam is making a clear case that prohibition is the real problem and that drug legalization is the inevitable solution for improving tourism in the city.