Good news!
For all of you who are wondering about the latest developments of the
legal status of magic mushrooms in the Netherlands; here is an update,
fresh from the VLOS (Dutch Mushroom/Smartshop Industry Organisation)
meeting in Amsterdam, monday the 7th of january.

Mushrooms have NOT been banned in 2008, they will stay legal for at
least 5 more months. Chances are getting higher that mushrooms will
not even become banned at all.The VLOS has done good work. The
mushroom lobby got their message across, through a network of media,
scientists and politicians.

Even though the Dutch minister of Health wants to ban mushrooms, he
has great difficulties in getting it done. New policy needs good
arguments. Therefor the minister had researchers perform a new study
about mushrooms, in the hope that the study would come out very
negative. Science usually speaks in favour of the mushroom, and it did
so again this time (check here for the identical government report
that was performed 8 years earlier, and which was the reason why
mushrooms stayed legal
www.erowid.org/plants/mushrooms/mushrooms_health1.pdf ). The minister
decided to ignore the report and declare himself more intelligent than
the scientists.
For months there has been a parliament majority that backed the
minister in the wish to ban. The Dutch Labour Party (PvdA) has used
its power to slow down the process. In the meantime there was a
demonstration against the ban, in Amsterdam. Generally said, the
massmedia is now on the hand of the ones who want to keep the
mushrooms legal. The parliament slowly starts to disagree with the
minister because he seems to be doing something illogical.

Instead of a quick ban there will now be a parliament hearing (in 2
weeks). Scientists and health professionals will tell their opinions,
and the parliament will ask questions. Most of those people will be
reasonable and educated people that see more truth in well performed
research than in some bad tripped politicians. In the beginning of
february the government wants make its drug policy for 2008.
The dangers of mushrooms have been proven to be very low, and do not
form a threat to the public health. It may well be that the parliament
will ask for regulation instead of a ban. Regulation will mean that
not everyone can sell mushrooms anymore; only specialized shops that
have a mushroom diploma.

Even if the parliament would go for a ban it's possible to block it in
a courtcase; but this is for later concern.

Recently a new Dutch organization was set up that wants to reintroduce
psychedelics into the academic world, and to promote scientific
research into psychedelic experiences (Stichting OPEN,
www.stichtingopen.nl/joomla/index.php?lang=english ). They will be the
Dutch branch of a successful American organization (MAPS,
www.maps.org ). We are looking forward to their findings.