Mellow Yellow Coffeeshop in Amsterdam closed
After 50 years Mellow Yellow, the oldest coffeeshop in Amsterdam and the world, closed on January 1, 2017. Mellow Yellow’s owner, Johnny Petram, fought back tears as he pulled the shutters down on his cannabis cafe for the last time. “I tried to make the best of it but it was the worst day of my life,” he said.
In the seventies Mellow Yellow found a grey area in the Dutch drug law. Since the opening in 1967 it set an example for many other coffeeshops in Amsterdam. It became an institution for both locals and tourists and one of the most famous and best coffeeshop in Amsterdam.
“Mellow Yellow was the oldest coffeeshop in Amsterdam and now it’s gone”
Now it is history thanks to a government-backed scheme to shut down any coffeeshops within 250m of a school. Mellow Yellow is one of 28 establishments affected by the legislation, which the mayor’s office candidly admits will probably not stop young people from taking up smoking.
Nevertheless the local authorities are persisting with the policy as part of a deal with the national government that will exempt Amsterdam from enforcing the so-called Weed Pass, which prohibits non-Dutch nationals from frequenting coffeeshops.
The Weed Pass has already been introduced to other parts of the Netherlands, but Amsterdam has hitherto resisted the scheme, arguing that it would lead to an explosion in street dealing. “If we don’t strike a deal we would be forced to enforce the Weed Pass and then we will have big problems,” said Jasper Karman, the mayor’s spokesperson. “In this way we can protect the remaining 167 coffeeshops in Amsterdam.”
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Sucks this place closed down, was wondering about that. I wouldn’t call it the best in town, and it’s definitely the oldest. But nowadays Grey Area and the likes are more famous. Seeing as Snoop Dogg and other artists tend to go there. Shame as I’m really fond of historical sites.
Just another attempt for Amsterdam to close down their most lucrative and tourist boosting attraction. That and the Red Light, which is also becoming smaller by the day.
Absolutely gutted this place has been closed, what a massive ball ache for the owner.
FUCK! I was just in A’dam in September of 2017! I was looking for the oldest coffeeshop to try, and this news!? Well just yet another lost opportunity! SHAME! I am not much of a THC (THC(Tetrahydrocannabinol) user However I would have liked to have ordered chocolate Biskuits with cannabis there in — and at the oldest coffeeshop on the planet!
This is the 21st Century and quite obviously a bad era of not having the committment to save the oldest, the first, and other similar attributes that would have gone into the Guinness Book of records!
VERY shameful loss! (One ray of hope, to get as many people togetther and demand thatthe old Mellow Yellow CS be exempted and reopened! (or rebuilt if already torn down, and made back open for business and to register this place (what should have been done earlier) and have this piece of history as a national Treasure, I cannot imagine that the Netherlands has no registry as to protectet and preserve old landmarks)!