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A city spokeswoman says 44 cannabis cafes in the Dutch capital have been granted a one-year reprieve from closure.

These shops (about 20% of all coffeeshops in Amsterdam) were to close Jan. 1 under a law passed by the previous national government mandating that all marijuana cafes around the country be at least 250 meters (yards) away from schools.

Spokeswoman Tahira Limon said that the shops have been told they can remain open at least until January 2013.

The new conservative Dutch government wants to increase the coffeeshops' distance from schools to 350 meters (yards), which would mean the closure of half of the existing 223 cafes, known as "coffee shops." But the city is attempting to negotiate an exemption to the rule. Nearly a quarter of tourists to Amsterdam visit a coffee shop.