Groningen now tolerant of marijuana production

The court in Groningen tolerated the production of cannabis for the first time. Two weed growers from Bierum were found guilty of cannabis cultivation, but no punishment was imposed.  Two weeks ago the Public Prosecution still demanded community service for the duo for the illicit cultivation of hemp. The two growers have been cultivating cannabis for years on principle and have repeatedly been condemned. They believe that the tolerance policy is not right and they want to change it. They pay the high electricity bill and taxes and maintain transparent records. They also only supply the municipality approved coffee shops. The court in Groningen found the two guilty of cannabis cultivation, but deliberately did not impose punishment because the crop is in line with the tolerance policy. The suspects' lawyers expect that the Public Prosecution will appeal. In July dozens of Dutch mayors came together to ask that the laws around cannabis cultivation and growth be relaxed.