Over the past few months you've no doubt noticed me mention staples of Amsterdam that are under threat and will soon be extinct. These have included magic mushrooms and a large number of prostitution windows which the government has bought to convert to something else.

The latest item on their path of destruction is the institution known as the "Grow Shop". You know a grow shop because, as the name indicates, there will be lots of plants for you to admire. If you're up for it you can even buy your own marijuana plants from these green thumbed entrepreneurs.

But according to the local Amsterdam TV station, a list of conservative parties in Dutch parliament have declared grow shops to be cesspools of organized crime and illegal drug sales. They insist that getting rid of growshops will help fight this crime, yet somehow big-name existing growshops will not be effected.

Once again my advice is to stop putting off your visit to Amsterdam AND your visit to a growshop. So see the plants and hear about all the hardwork and love these growers put into their weed. Do it soon because if the Dutch government gets its way, we will once again lose something very unique to this country.