Amsterdam wants to join national cannabis cultivation experiment

Amsterdam wants to participate in the national experiment to regulate the cannabis supply chain for coffeeshops, or a test to determine whether it is possible to make cannabis cultivation legal. The national project has faced numerous delays over the years, after first garnering majority support in Parliament in 2016.

The municipality is investigating which city district should take part, Mayor Femke Halsema told the national Cabinet. The municipality aims to designate a district in May.

The mayor, the local police chief, and the head of the local office of the Public Prosecution Service agreed to participate in the experiment in January. Amsterdam has previously expressed interest in participating in the trial, but this "turned out to be impossible due to the large number (166) of coffee shops in the city," according to the municipality.

Initially, ten municipalities were selected to participate in the trial with the legal cultivation, purchase and sale of cannabis. "The Cabinet is now preparing to expand the experiment with an eleventh municipality. The amendment to the Closed Coffee Shop Chain Act that makes this possible is currently before the Tweede Kamer."

The municipality said that the scale and population of the city districts make them "suitable" for participation in the experiment. Amsterdam will soon enter into discussions with the city district leadership and the coffeeshop sector about possible participation.

Talks are currently being held with the Ministry of Justice and Security and the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport to work out more details, the city said.