A Dutch court has upheld a decision to ban tourists from entering Amsterdam's famous cannabis coffee shops from May 1.
The move has been labelled 'tourism suicide' by one opposition MP, while it is also strongly opposed by a coffee shop owners' union and the Mayor of Amsterdam, Eberhard van der Laan.
The move has prompted outrage among opposition MPs and the country's coffee shop owners, who have announced they will appeal the decision.
Government officials plan to introduce a 'weed pass' for its citizens which they will need to enter city cafes.
The proposal will be rolled out across the country's southern provinces from next month, and nationwide next year.
The move has been labelled 'tourism suicide' by one opposition MP, while it is also strongly opposed by a coffee shop owners' union and the Mayor of Amsterdam, Eberhard van der Laan.
Michael Veling, a spokesman for the Dutch Cannabis Retailers Association, condemned the move.
'It is going to cost me 90 per cent of my turnover,' he told the BBC World Service.
'That is a very good reason for anyone to oppose any plan.
'Second it puts our customers in a very difficult spot, because why do you have to register to buy a substance that is still illegal?'
Andre Beckers, a lawyer representing a group of coffee shops, said: 'This is a discriminatory measure.
'These 19 coffee shops have been selected to represent the whole country and it is clear that many other coffee shops support the action.'
The city, famous for its Red Light District, attracts an estimated 3.6million international visitors every year.
Mayor Van der Laan says he wants to hammer out a compromise over the drugs ban, while coffee shop owners plan to take the fight to the European Court of Human Rights should an appeal fail.
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