Cannabis lovers are exempt from a public smoking ban that comes into force
in The Netherlands next week, but there is a catch: smokers can still light up
a joint only if it is not mixed with tobacco.

(EU) AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS (JUNE 26, 2008)REUTERS -
Cannabis lovers will be exempt from a public smoking ban that comes
into force in The Netherlands next week, but there is a catch: smokers can
still light up a joint in the country's famed "coffee shops" but
only if it is not mixed with tobacco. Cutting the cannabis 
with tobacco, which some smokers do, could land the shop owners a fine of
up to 2,400 euros (3,778 U.S. dollars).
    Not a problem, says coffee shop owner Arjan Roskam whose marijuana
strains have won 31 Cannabis Cup prizes over the years and who count Hollywood
celebrities, members of Europe's royal families, lawyers, judges and police
officers among his clients.
    "The English, Americans and Japanese are our biggest customers.
Already for a very, very long time they don't smoke tobacco because tobacco is
the number one killer on this planet," he said.
    Marijuana is technically illegal in the Netherlands but has been
decriminalised, with small quantities sold in coffee shops, making them big
attractions for tourists.
    While pot smokers usually cut their joints with tobacco, marijuana can
also be smoked on its own in pipes, vaporisers and other devices or eaten as
an ingredient in cake or cookies. The Dutch health ministry brushed off fears
that  cannabis-only joints may increase drug-related problems. The Dutch
drug-related death rate is low compared with other EU countries, it said in
its 2007 annual report.
    While coffee shops, like cafes and restaurants, can set aside a
separate room for tobacco smokers, many are unlikely to do so because of space
constraints.
    The smoking ban could hurt Amsterdam's golden goose, its lucrative
tourist trade, though. The city's plans to clean up its renowned 'red light'
district to fight forced prostitution, money laundering and drug abuse has
already drawn criticism.
    Coffee shops, bars and restaurants could get a reprieve though as
organisations representing the leisure industry are 
seeking injunctions against the smoking ban. In the meantime, watchdog Food
and Consumer Product Safety Authority says it has a squad of about 200
inspectors to enforce the ban.