If only there were a place where you could legally buy weed in Brussels.
While this is undoubtedly a sentiment expressed by a number of people who do not feel like going all the way to the Netherlands to get their joints, the latest person to publicly wish for coffee shops in Belgium's capital city came as quite a surprise: Philippe Close, the mayor of Brussels.
"I genuinely do not know anyone who has never tried a joint," he said in an interview with a Dutch newspaper.
The issue in Belgium, according to Close, is that people whose use gets out of hand do not know where to go. "Users are only seen as criminals. This can all be done much better."
He wants Belgium to legalise, distribute, produce and control cannabis, and also start prevention programmes – like in the Canadian province of Québec. "Too often, people who use drugs are still seen as failures today. We push them away, but I say: let’s help them."
"I see a joint like I see a glass of whisky," Close explained. "If you have one on a Saturday evening, you do not have a problem. But if you start your day with it, you do. And then you need help."
If there is a framework to regulate cannabis in place, however, Close "hopes" that a coffee shop will soon open in Brussels.
What do you think, would you want a coffee shop in Brussels? Let @Maajtee know.
Belgium in Brief is a free daily roundup of the top stories to get you through your lunch break conversations. To receive it straight to your inbox every day, sign up below:
1. Belgian Foreign Minister causes tensions with Ukraine over Crimea visit
Newly appointed Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib has drawn the ire of Ukrainian commentators following a journalistic visit to Crimea in 2021. The region has been under illegal Russian occupation since 2014 when it was annexed by invading Russian forces. Read more.
2. Coffee shops will ‘hopefully’ soon open in Brussels,’ says Mayor
In an interview with the Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad, Brussels City Mayor Philippe Close repeated his plea to decriminalise the use of cannabis in Belgium – as a first step toward legalisation. Read more.
3. Global warming disrupts Brussels-Cologne trains
The German high-speed train ICE, which connects Brussels to Cologne, has experienced multiple cancellations recently due to global warming. Deutsche Bahn announced it would improve the rail network in the form of new trains, but first by 2024. Read more.
4. Belgium to put €200 weekly limit on online gambling to tackle addiction
Belgium will be introducing a pay limit of €200 every week for online gambling games to curb the ever-increasing phenomenon of people being addicted to betting. Read more.
5. World could be on brink of recession, new IMF report shows
A slow recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic followed by various “gloomy developments” have pushed the world to what could be the brink of a global recession, shows a report from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Read more.
6. 69% of self-employed people happier since quitting as employees
Seven out of ten self-employed starters are happier today than they were when they were still in paid employment, despite the Covid-19 pandemic and the economic difficulties it brought with it, according to the biennial Starters Barometer of Acerta, the HR services company. Read more.
7. Hidden Belgium: The oldest mental asylum in Belgium
Hardly anyone knows about the strange and haunting Dr Guislain Museum located in a quiet Ghent suburb. Read more.
