Anyway, let us get down to it.
Dice: So Rench, what exactly is Christiania?
Renshaw: Christiania, also known as Freetown Christiania (Danish: Fristaden Christiania) is a self-proclaimed autonomous neighbourhood of about 850 residents, covering 34 hectares (85 acres) in the borough of Christianhavn in the Danish capital Copenhagen. Civic authorities in Copenhagen regard Christiania as a large commune, but the area has a unique status in that it is regulated by a special law, the Christiania Law of 1989 which transfers parts of the supervision of the area from the municipality of Copenhagen to the state. It was closed by residents in April 2011, whilst discussions continued with the Danish government as to its future, but is now open again.
Dice: Erm? ok. I didn't realise you knew so much about the place. What about the cannabis?
Renshaw: Christiania has been a source of controversy since its creation in a squatted military area in 1971. Its cannabis trade was tolerated by authorities until 2004. Since then, measures for normalising the legal status of the community have led to conflicts, and negotiations are ongoing.
Dice: Wait a minute, this all sounds like you got your information from Wikipedia?
Renshaw: Yes, yes I did.
We had a great time here. Some of us, ahem, had a tug on that rather large joint that Rench purchased and we walked all over the place gawking like tourists. Thank you for the tour Lau.
