Born Margaretha Zelle, on August 7, 1876 in Leeuwarden, Mata Hari lived a very eventful but sad life. She married a Dutch officer who abused her and was often left to the charity of others to survive. She had two children, one who died under mysterious circumstances when the family was stationed in Java, Indonesia.

Mata Hari had a dark beauty which she exploited by performing her famous Shiva dance, a striptease, before a live audience in Paris. She was a big hit, and took her show on the road to many of Europe’s capital cities. This brought her much fame, money and admirers.

Mata Hari’s legendary beauty attracted many men, but she seemed most attracted to military officers, thus she was often in a position to hear of important secrets during WWI. She was accused of spying by both the French and the Germans. She may have also been a double agent, betraying her spymasters. Despite a lack of substantial proof of harming either country with her liasons, she was sentenced to death by a French military tribunal in 1917.

For more about Mata Hari visit this website:
Crime Library – Mata Hari

LSD, the synthetic drug that opened the minds of millions during the 60s and 70s is once again on the scene opening the minds of a new generation of Europeans. Many of the clandestine drug labs in the Netherlands that made their fortunes on Ecstasy, are now turning to making LSD in large quantities. Reasons for this vary, but supposedly there are now more restrictions on the chemicals needed to synthesize Ecstasy.

LSD is indeed available in Amsterdam, but it is considered an illegal hard drug here, and anyone possessing it, especially in quantity is subject to arrest and imprisonment. Also LSD, while not addictive is a very powerful psychedelic drug with numerous physical and psychological effects. It’s not for the faint of heart nor anyone with depression or other mental disorder.

Apparently much more of the LSD is being exported to places like Germany which has recently noted a ten-fold increase in LSD seized along the border with Holland.

Some of the LSD being manufactured in Holland is used locally by the club set who perhaps are finding Ecstasy to be less of a kick after continuous use. So you may be offered LSD in a club setting along with Ecstasy. Some of the LSD is available in sheets (blotter), but it seems certain labs are making it in a pill form, thus confusing it with Ecstasy, which also appears in pill form. BEWARE! Know what it is before you take it. The Dutch will know and will tell you (hopefully) if you ask.

Another warning – LSD is NOT a party drug! Although many younger, less experienced people will take it at a club, concert or party, they eventually learn it’s way too strong a mind fuck to experience in an unfamiliar or crowded setting. In addition its effects last at least 10-12 hours during which time you will not be “yourself.” For more info about LSD check out erowid.org, an excellent resource on mind altering drugs.

Last Warning – LSD is NOT available for sale in coffeeshops. And if you try to score from dealers on the street you WILL be ripped-off. Don’t say you weren’t warned!

As of today, September 1, 2003, Dutch pharmacies will begin legally stocking marijuana and selling it to those with cannabis prescriptions from their doctors. It can now be sold in any of the 1,650 pharmacies in the Netherlands (in addition to the 800+ coffeeshops already selling marijuana). 80 hospitals and 400 doctors will also be allowed to prescribe and dispense the drug.

High quality marijuana in it’s raw form will be available in 5 gram packets for 50 Euros. This makes the Netherlands the first country in the world to prescribe and sell cannabis since it was prohibited by UN convention (it used to be one of the most frequently prescribed drugs before prohibition).

The Netherlands has done the most extensive research into the medical and social uses of cannabis, and knows for a fact that it has many medicinal uses including helping AIDS and Multiple Sclerosis patients. The government’s Bureau for Medicinal Cannabis (BMC) has been researching the effect of the drug on patients, and is the agency charged with overseeing the production and distribution of medical cannabis in the Netherlands.

The Dutch amended their Opium Law to allow the prescription and distribution of cannabis through pharmacies. Two growers will supply the pharmacies with medicinal grade marijuana.

Of course patients can also visit any of over 800 coffeeshops that also sell marijuana, but of course if they do, they’ll have to pay for it, whereas if they get a prescription it’s hoped their insurance will cover most of the cost. The public insurers will decide soon whether to cover cannabis as just another pharmacy drug.

The Netherlands has led the world in allowing people the freedom to use soft drugs such as marijuana and hashish without penalty. In addition their research has shown how effective marijuana is for medical conditions and how separating soft drugs from hard drugs has benefited their society.