NL: Council Tilburg considers it is time to to start with a cannabis experiment.

http://www.cannabis-clubs.eu/

TILBURG (ANP, 24 January 2007) - The city council of Tilburg considers the time is ripe for an experiment with legal cannabis cultivation. The parties PvdA (Social democrats), VVD (Right Liberal), GroenLinks (Left-ecologic), AB (Local party) and D66 (Left Liberal) want that the city starts preparing such a project, as they all support a proposal from the SP (Socialist party).

The fractions represent a broad majority (25 of 39 seats) in the Tiulburg city council.

A similar proposal of the city of Maastricht failed last year to obtain the support of Dutch Parliament, when the VVD redrew her support on the very last moment, and there was no longer a majority. PvdA, GroenLinks, and D66 were in favour of the proposal then. Minister Donner (Justice) even suggested then that he would resign if the experiment would obtain sufficient support.

Good moment

Local SP-chairman Johan van den Hout in Tilburg thinks that now the good moment has come for the controversial cannabis experiment. He refers to the negotiations on a new government coalition which are currently going on in the Netherlands after the elections of 22 November.

"The city of Tilburg has to prepare itself concretely on the allowance of regulated cultivation of cannabis’’, says the proposal of the SP. The parties consider that illegal cultivation in indoor plantations is causing problems for neighbours, security risks and criminality.

The council urges lord mayor Ruud Vreeman of Tilburg to start lobbying in the Hague together with friendly collegues in The Hague.