Marijuana.com

Suetaz

Dutch pot hero imprisoned-Snagged on old warrant; fate uncertain

by Pete Brady (16 Jun, 2004) | Cannabis Culture

Dutch cannabis coffeeshop guru Nol Van Schaik jumped off a cliff in 1989. For 15 years, he has defied gravity.

Three weeks ago, gravity finally caught up with him.

In 1989, Van Schaik was part of a group of men smuggling Moroccan hashish from Morocco to Holland via Spain and France. When his crew was caught by French agents at the French border, Van Schaik broke free from his captors, ran through a forest, and jumped off a cliff to get away.

Despite his injuries, he made it back to Holland, but France issued an international warrant for his arrest, and tried to extradite him from Holland. On several occasions, Van Schaik was detained and questioned while traveling, as authorities argued about whether they should send him to France as the warrant required.

After Van Schaik's partner, Dutch cannababe Maruska de Wortel, organized protest marches and whipped up media attention, the Dutch Justice Minister intervened and told the French that Van Schaik would not be extradited to France. Van Schaik believed he was finally safe.

Van Schaik is the most public Dutch political activist for marijuana. He expanded his scope in 2001 by opening England's first cannabis coffeeshop, the Dutch Experience. Later, he wrote a coffeeshop history book, titled "The Dutch Experience."

He was arrested or detained numerous times in England because of the shop. While in custody, British officials did not threaten to extradite him to France.

Later, Van Schaik moved to Spain. While continuing to supervise his three high-quality Willie Wortels coffeeshops in Haarlem, Holland near Amsterdam, he also became a public pot grower in Spain, putting weekly pictures of his outdoor crop on his hempcity website.

Van Schaik planned to open a Spanish cannabis resort and cannabis education center. But when he traveled to Spain from Holland recently, the Spanish airport where he landed was on heightened security. His passport was examined, a computer check was run, the old warrant was discovered, and Van Schaik was taken to a Madrid prison, where officials are arguing about whether he should be deported to France. If he is imprisoned in France, the sentence could be several years.

[Suetaznote: A cannabis resort and education center sounds like an excellent idea! I hope Spain returns him to Holland so he can continue with this plan.]

According to Marcel de Wortel, a long-time associate who manages Van Schaik's potshops, lawyers and activists are working to free Van Schaik, but there is no way to be certain of his fate until a Spanish court rules on it later this month.

In the meantime, Marcel says, Van Schaik's anxious family, friends and employees are praying that he will be sent back to Holland instead of France.

When asked what people could do to help Van Schaik, Marcel suggested that "everybody visit Haarlem, Holland and enjoy the super Willie Wortels coffeeshops and the Dutch summer."

__________________

 

Hansje

Nol is a fantastic guy, and deserves to be let go. Spain does not owe it to France to extradite him, especially after such a long time. Spain is one of several European countries that has liberalised its cannabis laws.

His book The Dutch Experience is terrific. The grammar's a bit dodgy, but I recommend it for everone's summer/vacation reading list. Luckily, it is available in the U.S. at this one place. You can order it online at the web site for Lancaster Trading Concepts at http://www.lancastertradingco.com . They have it in their book section in both hard cover and paperback.

I'll be staying at Nol's bed & breakfast coffeeshop in Haarlem. It's the Sativa, close to the train station. 'T Theehuis (the teahouse) has a selection of 50 different kinds of cannabis and hash. Nol owns these 3 coffeeshops: Sativa, Indica, and Sinsemilla. Sinsemilla has a connoisseur counter. Looking for old favourites, friendly smoke flavour from yesteryear? Chances are one of these places has it. Note that prices in Haarlem are considerably less than in Amsterdam, and A'dam is only a 10-minute train ride away. Watch out for the street pill and powder peddlers in Amsterdam, usually foreigners who approach people at night. You don't have to worry about that in Haarlem. Eurail pass and asking if your particular train (such as a sneltrain-fast train) requires a fee to reserve you seat for when the conductor comes to check tickets, and you'll be fine. Also, don't try to bring or mail any you-know-what home, and you'll be fine.

See you there maybe in mid-July to mid-August. I'll be around. Let's party and see if Nol or someone else, i.e. one of the de Wortels would be willing to give Coffeeshop College seminars or classes in the U.S. and Canada. That ought to send a message to the Feds that the legalisation train isn't stopping for them, and they can't stop the train. See you there! Smoke's on me. Let's party, let's talk, let's win!

Suetaz

Would you be willing to write up a story for us about your stay Hansje? I know I'd love to hear all about it. I'd like to hear more stories about what it's like in Holland.

15 years is a long time, why waste money on incarcerating him for such an old crime? I hope Spain sees the senselessness in turning him over to France and lets him continue to be a productive member of society.

solutions

His book The Dutch Experience is terrific. The grammar's a bit dodgy

I so know what that is like indeed But, as the Orakel van Betondorp said "If I wanted you to understand, I would have explained it better."

Note that prices in Haarlem are considerably less than in Amsterdam, and A'dam is only a 10-minute train ride away

Absolutely worth a visit. Only 5,60 Euro for a retourtje from Amsterdam by train. Halfway to the beach.

Will be interesting to see what they do to Nol. I hope they let him go. The Netherlands doesn't easily extradict cannabis entrepeneurs - as Nol calls himself - but Spain? I don't know. What if his supected crimes are no longer pursueable in Spain or France? 15 years is a long time. Anyway he'll be lucky he doesn't end up in the USA. I just can't see any rule of law functioning when most Dutch suspects that get extradicted - and there are plenty - plea guilty and accept years imprisonment to avoid costly procedures and even more draconic sentences. Phuh, got me ranting again . Nol built himself a happy place with his Haarlem shops, but knew what he was doing. If you are in the area, I hear his sjops kick ass.

To be continued. Peace

__________________
3 monkeys sitting under a coconut tree
discussing things as they are set to be
Said one to the other, now listen you two
there's a strange rumor that can't be true
they say man was descended from our noble race
but the very idea is a big disgrace
no monkey ever deserted his wife
or her baby to ruin their lives.
Damian Marley - Educated Fools

Hansje

Ja zeker. Ik ben ook in Utrecht.


Yes, of course. I will also be in Utrecht. I will visit the famed Sarasani in Utrecht, which is the first coffeeshop still open/longest running, I hear. I will be in other places too, such as Den Haag (The Hague, where the seat of government and the International Court are). It will probably be an epistolary story or maybe a short story bits. I will have good Internet access, so maybe I could send in items of interest over the website. That way it's not so long all at once. I won't want to take my digital camera with me because I probably won't be allowed to plug it into the hosts' computers. There are security and software/driver issues that come into play.

Have you any special questions that I should answer? What are your curiosities? :-) Hansje

 

Suetaz

My curiosities? Everything! Take us on a trip to Holland. Maybe you could give us a day to day report on what you did, where you went, who you met, etc. and then post pictures when you return if you take your camera. Pictures would be wonderful, from some of the pics I've seen of Amsterdam it looks like a beautiful city. I'm willing to read whatever you feel like posting for us.

Suetaz

Spain extradites Nol van Schaik

Haarlems Dagblad 7 Juli 2004 | Hempcity.net

Translated by CoolZero, sorry for my english.

HAARLEM - Coffee shop holder Nol van Schaik has been put by the Spanish authorities on the plane to France yesterday evening. France was condemned at contumacy up to five years prison sentence and a money fine, after he has in 1989 been involved at the smuggling of hash.

Van Schaik was apprehended on 17 May on the airport of Malaga. His sister Carla says, because of the marriage of the Spanish prince the treaty of Schengen had been suspended temporarily and everyone was being screened.

Nol had been several times already been to Spain. But now he fell by the basket. He was still on the list. Van Schaik is treated pleasantly in the Spanish prison is, still reasonable, apprehension now dominates that will be in France concerning. He will be treated more delequent in France.

According to its girlfriend Marushka de Blaauw, who is now still in Spain, there is, however, appeal possible at the European Commission. In Spain the matter has become prescribed, with a condemnation for five years. But lodge an appeal to let explain the extradition illegitimate, rapidly five months will go across.

The previous days it has rightly come in an acceleration. Monday it concerned still possible extradition and now - a day later - he sits already in the plane. Our Spanish lawyer hasn’t been able to do anything, just like the Dutch embassy. Our Dutch lawyer - Mr. Spong - can get in action as Nol is effectively extradited. We will contact with him today.

solutions

For the record, in Holland a "coffee shop" is a place where you get a coffee and brownies, whereas a coffeeshop is a place where you can get coffee, tea and weed, and if your lucky brownies.

Peace Nol