https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLIcFP0J5TY

                                     JULES
                         – Okay now, tell me about the hash 
                         bars?

                                     VINCENT
                         What so you want to know?

                                     JULES
                         Well, hash is legal there, right?

                                     VINCENT
                         Yeah, it's legal, but is ain't a 
                         hundred percent legal. I mean you 
                         can't walk into a restaurant, roll a 
                         joint, and start puffin' away. You're 
                         only supposed to smoke in your home 
                         or certain designated places.

                                     JULES
                         Those are hash bars?

                                     VINCENT
                         Yeah, it breaks down like this: it's 
                         legal to buy it, it's legal to own 
                         it and, if you're the proprietor of 
                         a hash bar, it's legal to sell it. 
                         It's legal to carry it, which doesn't 
                         really matter 'cause – get a load of 
                         this – if the cops stop you, it's 
                         illegal for this to search you. 
                         Searching you is a right that the 
                         cops in Amsterdam don't have.

E.g., they aren't "out to get you" like police in America.

Once I was having lunch with some friends in a park and one of us was drinking a beer can. We were alone there and, certainly, not causing any problem. The police approached us and fined my friend for drinking in public (I don't remember how much it was, this was some years ago). I live in front of a park now and I've seen similar things. I've also been drinking many times in public without any problem, and I am quite sure the police noticed us.

The Netherlands is, in general, a very tolerant country, but not as much as some people think. Maybe it is compared with America (although, in my very limited experience, I've never had any problems with the American police), but the difference with most European countries is quite moot.

They kind of went the way of the Dodo when ticket prices started going up and theaters started converting to the lazy boy seats and offering similar experiences. Although the bar was usually outside of the theater and more of a "pre-gamne" type of experience than what the Cinema Grill offered.

We had around 8-10 of them where I lived, but AFAIK they're all gone now.

Last time my wife went to watch a movie (before covid) she ordered a margarita.

This would remove a lot of people form the criminal justice system and get rid of the need for the DEA. Only problem is that the DEA is a job creator though.

On the other hand those jobs include tearing families apart and jailing people for victimless crimes. I think I'd be ok losing those jobs.

The same would happen if we get rid of commercial insurance companies which I'm also in favor of. All those admin staff, drug sales, insurance coders would be out of work and politicians would have to explain what happened.

https://www.government.nl/topics/drugs/toleration-policy-reg...

Oregon also just decriminalized possession of all drugs, for personal-use quantities.

Seems to say it's illegal but tolerated as long as you don't cause a fuss.