Legal cannabis available in Tilburg, Breda as regulation experiment starts

Legally grown cannabis can be purchased in the Netherlands for the first time, as the first phase of a long-awaited government supported pilot program starts on Friday in Tilburg and Breda, the second and third largest cities in Noord-Brabant. In addition to cannabis grown by three approved organizations, the coffeeshops in both cities may continue to sell products which are tolerated, though not necessarily legal, for the time being.

In the coming months, the national government will examine the issues facing all parties involved before launching the cannabis pilot program in more cities around the country. A total of 11 municipalities will participate in the national experiment, including the late addition of the Amsterdam-Oost district in the capital.

Mayor Theo Weterings of Tilburg called the start-up phase an “experiment within the experiment,” which should last a maximum of six months. The coffeeshops are still allowed to participate on a voluntary basis. In Tilburg, six of the 11 shops will start right away. According to a municipal spokesperson, the rest will likely follow early next year. The municipality of Breda said that all eight shops located in the city will participate immediately

The official nationwide cannabis pilot program is expected to start this summer after a transition phase, and will last at least four years. That will include participation from Almere, Arnhem, Groningen, Heerlen, Maastricht, Nijmegen, Voorne aan Zee and Zaanstad. Those municipalities are in addition to Tilburg and Breda, as well as the expected involvement of Amsterdam-Oost.

The cannabis experiment was postponed repeatedly over the years. During the real pilot program, coffeeshops taking part in the municipalities involved may only sell regulated cannabis from a choice of ten growers.

Under the Netherlands’ current tolerance policy, coffeeshops buy cannabis illegally from back alley sources. Researchers claim this results in crime, nuisance, and health risks. Sales of personal quantities of cannabis to customers is still tolerated, and not yet regulated.