A body representing Dutch "magic mushroom" vendors sought an urgent court order Tuesday to halt a health ministry ban on the sale of the hallucinogenics pending a final ruling on the issue.
The petition was filed by the vendors' association VLOS at the district court in The Hague which is expected to deliver its verdict on Friday, officials and the group said.
Magic Mushrooms Imparting Lasting Effects
The feelings of well-being and life satisfaction brought on by the hallucinogen psilocybin, found in magic mushrooms, can last for months, a new study published Monday revealed.
Advertisement
"The minister must reconsider the issue," Paul van Oyen, a spokesman for the association told AFP.
"His decision to ban mushrooms infringes the drugs laws because he is unable to prove the danger they allegedly represent."
The ban introduced by Health Minister Ab Klink and adopted by parliament would stop the sale of hallucinogenic mushrooms from December 1.
![Dutch “Magic Mushroom” Cultivator Whines About Ban]( "Dutch “Magic Mushroom” Cultivator Whines About Ban")
Freddy Schaap, a grower of hallucinogenic mushrooms, is bitter about having to lay off half his staff on account of a Dutch government ban on his psychedelic produce.
Klink believes consumption of the mushrooms, sold in the Netherlands in so-called smart shops, "can lead to unpredictable and risky behaviour".
The death in March last year of a French teenager who had taken mushrooms before jumping to her death from an Amsterdam bridge, reignited the debate over the hallucinogenic fungi.
Though no link had been established between the product and the girl's death, it led a majority of lawmakers to call for a ban.
According to Amsterdam health services, where more than a quarter of the country's smart shops are to be found, more than 90 percent of the 1.5 million to two million doses consumed every year are bought by foreign tourists.
Authorities drew up a list of 186 species of mushrooms whose sale will be banned from December 1. More are expected to follow later.
According to Van Oyen, no investigation had been carried out into the French girl's death "and there is no proof that mushrooms were the cause".
He accused the minister of making his decision on the back of arguments "that are beyond reason".
Source: AFP
LIN
The ban introduced by Health Minister Ab Klink and adopted by parliament would stop the sale of hallucinogenic mushrooms from December 1.
Dutch “Magic Mushroom” Cultivator Whines About Ban
Freddy Schaap, a grower of hallucinogenic mushrooms, is bitter about having to lay off half his staff on account of a Dutch government ban on his psychedelic produce.
Advertisement
Klink believes consumption of the mushrooms, sold in the Netherlands in so-called smart shops, "can lead to unpredictable and risky behaviour".
The death in March last year of a French teenager who had taken mushrooms before jumping to her death from an Amsterdam bridge, reignited the debate over the hallucinogenic fungi.
Though no link had been established between the product and the girl's death, it led a majority of lawmakers to call for a ban.
According to Amsterdam health services, where more than a quarter of the country's smart shops are to be found, more than 90 percent of the 1.5 million to two million doses consumed every year are bought by foreign tourists.
Authorities drew up a list of 186 species of mushrooms whose sale will be banned from December 1. More are expected to follow later.
According to Van Oyen, no investigation had been carried out into the French girl's death "and there is no proof that mushrooms were the cause".
He accused the minister of making his decision on the back of arguments "that are beyond reason".
Source: AFP
LIN
Netherlands to Impose Total Ban on 'Magic' Mushrooms
The Netherlands is to ban the selling and growing of so-called magic mushrooms, which have a hallucinogenic effect on users, from December 1, the Dutch health ministry said Wednesday.
Advertisement
 Mushroom Used in Oriental Medicine may Help to Fight CancerAn exotic mushroom widely used in oriental medicine contains chemicals that may fight breast cancer, says a new study. | Advertisement
|
Advertisement
Latest General Health News
In a tragic incident, a woman in the US experienced the loss of all her limbs as a result of a bacterial outbreak linked to the consumption of contaminated fish.
FluMos-v2, a unique universal influenza vaccine candidate, undergoing a phase 1 trial at NIH, increases recipients' immunity against many influenza viruses.
In Pakistan, the polio campaign focuses on more than 270,000 children under the age of five years, residing in areas with insufficient vaccine coverage.
Dangers of Wrong Diagnosis: Diagnostic errors in healthcare can increase the risk of permanent disabilities and deaths.
Due to our constant connectivity and the ability to be accessible at all times, it has become challenging to separate from work and fully participate in personal life.
