Running for up to 18 months, the experiment will allow cannabis shops in the municipalities of Arnhem, Almere, Breda, Groningen, Heerlen, Voorne aan Zee, Maastricht, Nijmegen, Tilburg, and Zaanstad to sell legally supplied cannabis.

The experiment aims to evaluate the feasibility of regulated cannabis production, distribution, and sales, with a research team monitoring its impact on crime, safety, and public health.

The Netherlands has about 570 coffeeshops across 102 municipalities, where the sale of cannabis is tolerated under strict conditions. However, production and distribution remain prohibited, leading to growing concerns about public order, health, and crime. In reaction, the coalition agreement of 2017-2021 initiated a small-scale experiment in ten municipalities to assess regulated sales of cannabis.

Initially designed in 2020, the project involved selecting growers to prepare for legal cannabis cultivation. In late December 2023, coffeeshops in Tilburg and Breda started selling regulated products. But starting April 7, participating municipalities will exclusively sell regulated cannabis.

Coffeeshops’ Concerns Over Legal Cannabis Sales Experiment

However, many coffeeshops say they are not prepared for the switch to the legal cannabis sales experiment, with owners complaining about the controlled hash quality and price.

Illegal Moroccan hash remains popular, and it is unclear whether alternatives from the licensed market will be equally attractive.

The Minister of Justice and Security, David van Weel, has nonetheless promised that producers can offer a range of high-quality products.

In a letter posted on March 7, a coalition of coffeeshop organizations said that completely transitioning to lawfully licensed goods by April 7, 2025, is impractical.

They said that the experiment may pose significant risks, referring to the quality, quantity, and variety of legal cannabis products as small.

The group requested more time to improve the system before the transition to ensure the experiment’s success.

While coffeeshop owners remain concerned about the quality of regulated products, Van Weel said that, to address concerns, he will host a meeting later this month for growers and coffeeshop owners to share feedback.

The Netherlands is the latest European country to move ahead with trying to reform its cannabis policy.

After Malta, Luxembourg, and Germany legalized cannabis for personal use only, Switzerland, which is not part of the European Union, has started its cannabis experiment to sell legal cannabis.

Germany also plans to start its own experiment to sell legal cannabis in certain municipalities, but legislation is not yet in place to launch it.