Maastricht mayor Onno Hoes, who has been struggling to ensure legislation banning tourists from the city’s 11 cannabis cafes is put into practice, is now looking at alternatives, Nos television reports.

The broadcaster says the mayor and council officials are looking at the option of moving the city’s coffee shops to the border area. Then foreigners could be allowed to use them again.

Last week, the mayor said he needed more police officers in the city to reduce the amount of street dealing which has sprung up following the introduction of the ban on non-residents.

Amsterdam

The local cannabis retailers’ association has decided to ignore the ban, which was introduced a year ago, but is not being implemented in northern cities such as Amsterdam. There officials are taking advantage of options in the law to allow tailor-made local policies.

The council is also looking into the possibility of setting up formal marijuana cultivation to supply the cafes.

The council and mayor have long been at odds over the attitude to soft drugs in the city but ‘now a compromise has been found’, the broadcaster says.