As pot proliferates in NYC, Amsterdam bans marijuana in red-light district

As illegal weed shops appear to pop up all over New York City, renowned pot mecca Amsterdam is banning marijuana from the streets of the city’s notorious red-light district.

It’s part of a crackdown on bars and prostitution after years of complaints from locals that obnoxious tourists are wrecking their city.

Starting in the middle of May, walking-while-puffing will be banned, BBC News reported. Restaurants and bars will have to stop serving by 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, while brothels must shut by 3 a.m.

“The atmosphere becomes dire, particularly at night,” a local government spokeswoman said in a statement. “A lot of people are under the influence and hang around for a long time. This comes at the expense of a good night’s sleep for residents and the livability and safety of the whole neighborhood.”

Under Dutch law, cafes can openly sell cannabis products as long as they do not create a nuisance.

No visitors will be let into the red-light district after 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. The sale of alcohol is already banned after 4 p.m. from Sunday to Thursday, but stores and cafes will have to hide beer, wine and spirits from public view during that period staring in the spring.

The Dutch capital’s policy comes as the city once known as New Amsterdam is struggling with the recent legalization of recreational pot.

Small shops all over the Big Apple are selling marijuana without a license, prompting Mayor Adams and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg to announce a crackdown earlier this week.

“New Yorkers have had enough,” Adams said in launching the policy.