According to recent statistics, the rate of unemployment in Italy is at 9%. In Spain, the official numbers may be as high as 20%. As far as I’ve heard, the latest regarding Greece is that they are now paying 30% interest rates on the country’s debt. Even the middle class in America is feeling the pinch.
These are humbling figures, and the last I knew, no one I know wants to be poor.
According to unscientific observations I made recently when visiting Amsterdam, there is one sector of their economy that seems to be doing really well: The coffee shop industry. This is a lesson Americans should adhere to carefully.
Interested in starting a business that’s almost foolproof to fail? I know I’d be all ears at such a proposal. Seven days a week, from 10am until 1am, the coffee shop closest to our guesthouse always had customers. These customers range from those that actually wanted to sit and enjoy themselves there, to others who just wanted to purchase goods and move along. There was almost always a line to make a purchase.
The environment is quite safe. One won’t often run across drunk and obnoxious youth, and other drugs hardly seem to provoke malicious behavior. I didn’t observe a single serious problem during our stay in Holland.
This was not the only coffee shop successfully conducting business either. Most of the coffee shops we’d pass were packed with patrons seated, and enjoying their goods and coffee, as well as those standing in line to make a purchase.
The recent ‘no’ vote in California to regulate and make legal the sale and purchase of marijuana just goes to show: in 2011, Americans are either too stoned, or still like their drugs illegal.
After experiencing such success in business during my stay inn Holland, I’d say Americans (in general) have it wrong.
Keep the faith.
I have just come back from Amsterdam thinking the same thing, the UK and other western countries are missing out on a whole new industry and culture by not adopting the same attitude to weed smoking as Holland. Uk, usa should take note from amsterdam and fill its citys with coffee shops licensed for sale of pot weed ect, dealers that are already selling weed illegally would be able declare what they are doing and maybe get help opening a business to sell legally thus decriminalizing weed and encouraging business growth in our citys which are already on there arses because of the state of our economy. Citys like Amsterdam lead by example, London, NY, Manchester, Berlin and paris pick a city put a few coffee shop in it and watch the benefits it brings I saw nothing negative about my experience of Amsterdam, it just left me thinking why doesnt every other city do this?
ReplyDeleteCouldn't agree with you more. Didn't see any serious trouble amongst those enjoying the products that the coffee shops offer, either. It really seems to largely be a political issue more than anything else. Politicians seem to think they won't be able to get elected, or re-elected if they are pro-marijuana on their platform. Prescription drug companies seem to believe they will also lose out big time once the masses see the medical benefits to usage.
ReplyDeleteEssentially, our system is backwards and those in power want to keep it that way to maintain their control over anyone who doesn't have a say. Which, unfortunately, is almost everyone in the world. This issue of legalization has already turned the corner, but apparently it must go around the block a couple of times to get anywhere so to speak.