Amsterdam’s ‘oldest’ cannabis cafe closes because of school rule

City bans coffee shops from being within 250 metres of a school
Dutch News (Netherlands)
Saturday, December 30, 2016

coffeeshop mellowAn Amsterdam coffeeshop which can trace its roots back to 1973 will open for the last time because of city rules preventing the sale of marijuana close to schools. Mellow Yellow, now on the Vijzelstraat, first opened in a squatted bakery on the Weesperzijde. It was named after the Donovan song Mellow Yellow, about smoking banana skins, and was ‘code for the fact you could buy weed there,’ founder Wernard Bruining told the Volkskrant. Bruining’s concept involved serving clients a cup of tea so they could then buy marijuana from the house dealer. This enabled him to get exploit a loophole in the law which allowed individuals to sell the soft drug. (See also: Why Amsterdam’s coffeeshops are closing)