1/5 Of Your Eighth

Amsterdam will close almost a fifth of its marijuana cafes to comply with a national ban on having them near schools. Great. Now where are students going to get their pot?

Another city, Eindhoven, said it would start issuing permits to marijuana growers in order to better regulate the trade — if the national government approves. Those plans were announced as 33 major Dutch cities held a "weed summit" to discuss the nation's long-standing policy of tolerating marijuana use while routinely arresting growers. How much cooler are the Dutch than us with their weed summit.

Letters have been sent to 43 shops located within 250 meters (yards) of a high school informing them they will have to close by the end of 2011 if they cannot successfully appeal the decision. Those included some landmarks, such as The Bulldog — a high-traffic shop operating since 1985 in a former police station on one of the city's main squares. Other cities closer to the Netherlands' borders have expressed frustration at being bombarded by "drug tourists" from Germany, France or Belgium seeking to stock up on marijuana — often finding ways to bypass a 5 gram (1/5 ounce) purchase limit. See, it's going to be a national epidemic!