Next step in cannabis experiment: Dozens of coffeeshops selling only regulated weed
The Netherlands’ experiment with regulated cannabis production has entered a new, crucial phase. From today, all coffeeshops in the ten participating municipalities are only allowed to sell cannabis grown by regulated cultivators. They can still sell tolerated hash bought through the “back door” for the time being.
This involves almost 80 coffeeshops in Almere, Arnhem, Breda, Groningen, Heerlen, Hellevoetsluis, Maastricht, Nijmegen, Tilburg, and Zaanstad. This is a big step because it puts an end to the tolerance policy - in which coffeeshops were allowed to sell cannabis, but authorities turned a blind eye to where they got their supply because cultivation was illegal - in these municipalities.
According to the coffeeshops, consumers are enthusiastic about the legal supply of cannabis. But there are concerns about whether the growers can keep up with demand. “There were still some problems in recent weeks,” Stan Esmeijer of the Coffeeshop Platform Nijmegen told NOS. Popular legal types of weed are not always available. Hash, which is widely used, is hardly available at all.
After coffeeshops raised the alarm about supply issues in the run-up to this next step in the experiment, the government decided to allow the sale of illegal hash for a few more months. But according to the government, the cannabis supply is sufficient.
“If that is not the case, we will have a serious problem,” Esmeijer said about the cannabis supply. “Then we have empty shelves and we fear that street trading and nuisance will increase.”
The supply concerns stem from only five of the ten regulated growers being fully operational. The rest are still starting up or haven’t even started cultivating yet. Some struggled to find a suitable location, and the search and screening of investors took longer than expected. Growers also had trouble opening bank accounts.
“The intention was to start this new phase with more growers, so I understand the concerns of the coffeeshops,” Rick Bakkers of Hollandse Hoogtes, one of the ten growers, told NOS. The company started with 15 people six months ago and has since grown to 140 employees working in the cultivation halls in Bemmel. Hollandse Hoogtes supplies around 200 kilograms per week.
Bakker thinks that the active growers can supply enough cannabis for now, and once all growers are up and running, there will always be enough choice.
