Ever heard of drug tourists? They’re a popular sight especially in border regions of the Netherlands, where people cross the border from Germany, Belgium, and come from France to purchase marijuana in coffee shops. Residents are complaining, but a solution has been introduced: It’s called the weed pass.

John Tyler at Radio Netherlands explains it well:

Here's how it works. To get the pass, you have to become a 'member' of a coffee shop, the Dutch cafes allowed to sell cannabis. After paying a fee and showing official identification, your details are entered into a computer system, and you get a pass.

The pass allows you to buy up to three grams of marijuana per day. All the coffee shops will be hooked up to the same system, so you can't cheat and get more by hopping from shop to shop.

The pass aims to discourage drug tourism, and time will tell if it has the desired effect.