Controlled Cannabis Supply Chain Experiment

On 17 June, the Controlled Cannabis Supply Chain Experiment was launched in Maastricht. During the experiment, ‘coffee shops’ (the local term for cannabis cafés) in 10 participating municipalities sell regulated cannabis. This cannabis is produced by growers that were selected by the central government. After the start-up phase in Tilburg and Breda, our municipality followed along with 7 other Dutch municipalities: Arnhem, Almere, Groningen, Heerlen, Voorne aan Zee, Nijmegen and Zaanstad. The experiment will last more than four years and will clarify whether a chain of legal sale, production, purchase and delivery of cannabis is possible.   

The experiment  

In The Netherlands, the sale of cannabis is tolerated under strict conditions. But the production and the supply of cannabis to coffee shops is not tolerated and is illegal. In the 2017-2021 coalition agreement the government undertook to conduct an experiment to clarify whether a chain of legal sales, production, purchase and supply is possible.  

The purpose of the experiment is to see whether it is possible to decriminalise the supply of quality-controlled cannabis by growers to coffee shops. And to determine how this can best be done. Decriminalisation involves amending legislation so that there is no criminal penalty for the production, distribution and sale of cannabis within the context of the experiment. In addition, the government wants to see what effects decriminalisation will have on the problems that some municipalities experience. 

Rules and the transitional phase  

On a national level, rules have been laid down to which the coffee shops must adhere. For instance, they may only buy products from the designated growers. And they may only sell these regulated products to adults living in The Netherlands. They are also responsible for educating their customers. And their staff are trained to be alert to problematic use.   

To give coffee shops sufficient opportunity to switch to the regulated products, a so-called transitional phase will apply from 17 June. During this period, coffee shops are allowed to sell the tolerated supply in addition to the regulated cannabis. After this transition period, they are only allowed to sell regulated products.   

Attention to prevention  

The use of cannabis always carries risks. Monitoring the quality of cannabis within the experiment does not lead to cannabis being safe/not harmful to health. Health risks remain. During the experiment, there is an extra focus on prevention. For instance, there are requirements on packaging and labelling, and consumers are informed about effects and health risks of cannabis use through an information leaflet.   

Check the information about the experiment in our municipality below, or visit the national information page about the experiment on rijksoverheid.nl (in Dutch only). Do you have a (different) question? Send an e-mail to egck [at] maastricht.nl (egck[at]maastricht[dot]nl). 

  • There are approximately 570 coffee shops in the Netherlands spread across 102 municipalities. The government tolerates the sale of cannabis by coffee shops to consumers under strict conditions. This means that there is no criminal penalty for selling weed and hash. But the production and supply of cannabis to coffee shops is not tolerated and is illegal. 

    In the 1970s, the Netherlands introduced its policy of tolerance for the sale of cannabis in coffee shops. This to separate the markets for hard and soft drugs. But this approach has brought its own set of problems with regard to public order, public health and crime that undermines society. Problems for which there is a growing demand for attention, also in Maastricht. 

    Years ago, the city council already expressed the desire to investigate whether legalisation of controlled hemp cultivation - and the resulting legalised trade - is sufficient to reduce/solve these problems.

  • Within the experiment, the main difference for consumers buying cannabis in a coffee shop, is that this has been checked for quality. As a result you will know, for example, how much THC and CBD is in the products. It also checks how much heavy metals and aflatoxin the cannabis contains. 

    Different types of weed and hash remain on sale. You always receive an extensive leaflet with health information and tips to make good choices. Like the products, the packaging must meet strict requirements and includes information on THC and CBD content.

  • All coffee shops in the participating municipalities take part in the experiment, including all coffee shops in Maastricht. Across the Netherlands, this totals nearly 80 coffee shops.

  • During the experiment, up to 10 designated growers will supply regulated cannabis to the coffee shops in the 10 participating municipalities. 

    The growers are responsible for the quality of the cannabis and therefore have their products tested extensively. The growers package the cannabis according to the set requirements and deliver it to the relevant coffee shops via secure transport.

  • During the experiment, growers and coffee shop owners use a track & trace system. This system supports controlled chain supervision, as it records operations during the cultivation, processing and sale of cannabis. Use of this track & trace system is mandatory for growers and coffee shop owners participating in the experiment.

  • The experiment aims to establish whether there is a possible alternative to the current tolerance policy. It will regulate the cultivation, transport and sale of cannabis. Little will change in the coffee shops themselves, besides selling regulated cannabis and paying more attention to prevention. An increase in nuisance is therefore not likely. Of course, we will closely monitor the situation around the coffee shops.

  • During the experiment a team of researchers will map out whether and how a controlled coffeeshop chain is possible. This research takes place in the 10 participating municipalities and in 10 control municipalities where no experiment is taking place. An independent Monitoring and Evaluation Committee supervises the researchers during the study and evaluates the experiment.

  • Enforcement officers from the municipality and the Justice and Security Inspectorate will check whether all parties comply with the experiment rules. For example, no cannabis from illegal sources may enter the experiment’s supply chain. And no cannabis from the experiment’s supply chain may be processed or sold outside this context. 

    This is what is meant by ‘controlled cannabis supply chain’. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) is responsible for monitoring the quality of the cannabis grown and compliance with with packaging requirements.