e-sixth of an ounce at a time, down from 1 ounce. Also, coffee shops may stock only 1.1 pounds of marijuana and hash, down from 2.2 pounds (Gross 41). While these changes satisfy the criticizing nations, they are not really a big deal in the Netherlands, and the Dutch do not plan to make any serious changes. Herbert Barnard, a counselor for Heath and welfare at the Royal Netherlands Embassy, says, "Our policy has produced results that are demonstrably better than those in many of the countries criticizing us. While we realize that an ongoing dialogue with all those involved with the drug problem is a precondition for any progress, we are not going to change our policy on the basis of unjustified criticism" (69).As I have already mentioned, the Netherlands has a strong economy with an emphasis on exports. The Netherlands has played a special role in the European economy for many centuries. Since the 16th century, shipping, fishing, trade, and banking have been leading sectors of the Dutch economy, and trade with the country's colonial empire was important in the 19th and the first half of the 20th centuries. Since the independence of Indonesia in the late 1940's, the Dutch economy has been redirected from colonial trade to that with European nations; a diversified manufacturing base was created as employment in agriculture fell; and the country became a major energy exporter as large deposits of natural gas were discovered. In all these changes the national government played a major role, particularly by its economic planning. The government's influence is great even though most firms are privately owned, because it distributes nearly half the Dutch national income. Also important in the economic growth of the Netherlands are the activities of a number of large private firms. In 1992 the gross domestic product (GDP) of the Netherlands was measured at $324.6 billion. Between 1980 and 1990, the country's GDP grew at an average yearly...
