Its a topic which has carried its fair share of the worlds press coverage, and while some people see this as the beginning of the end of the tolerant Dutch attitude towards cannabis, others think otherwise.

Paul Wilhelm, owner of De Tweede Kamer, a popular Amsterdam coffee shop, said: "It's a bit like saying to someone you can go into a cafe and you can buy a beer, but you can't drink it there - you'll have to stick to whisky, rum and vodka." 

segregated smoking cabins, water pipes and vaporizers.

Fritz, who's been selling soft drugs at the Bulldog for a decade, says he doesn't think the new rules will hurt business. And they could even have some unforeseen benefits.

"I think it will be good because I smoke a lot but when it's forbidden, I have to go outside. But not possible because I must be in when I'm working. So, it's good for my health," he said.

Many smaller coffee shops, though, are worried they'll be put out of business. They can't afford to create a separate smoking space for tobacco diehards, as the law requires.

Helga, who owns the neighborhood smoke shop Yoyo, says she'll weather the storm, and will maybe even take this opportunity to convert her coffee shop into a community center. But a recent brush with police over kids using her shop's bathroom means she's taking the law seriously.

"They said one thing more you're closed forever, because they'd like to close all coffee shops. We're the most friendly one, the only coffee shop, it's another atmosphere. But they do it because they want less coffee shops. ... So I will follow the rules," she said.

The Dutch health minister, Ab Klink, said he hoped the law would help to rid the country of cannabis-induced idleness.

"Consumers who spend the whole day hanging out in coffee shops will have to find other things to do," he said.

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