Netherlands Cannabis Trial Begins

Following the initial announcement nine months ago, the two chosen municipalities officially began selling legal cannabis products on December 15th as part of an experiment to look at the legal sale of cannabis.

The experiment aims to legalise production, supply and smoking and diminish the black market and associated crime.

It is a common misconception that cannabis is already legal in the Netherlands, which is known for its famous coffee shops and is a popular destination for cannabis smokers.

The drug, however, currently exists in a legal grey area, something that the government hopes to change via the four-year trial that is beginning in Breda and nearby Tilburg.

The consumption of small quantities of cannabis is classed as illegal. Police have commonly chosen not to enforce this law under a "tolerance" policy that has been in place since the 1970s. However, the production and supply of the drug to coffee shops is also illegal and is not tolerated, which means that cultivators and coffee shop owners have to be very discreet and cautious.

This grey area has, of course, been taken advantage of by the black market and, more specifically, organised crime gangs with a related rise in petty crime and antisocial behaviour that officials hope to remove through the trial.

"Criminal organisations took over that criminal market, and therefore, coffee shop owners were depending on the criminal market, and that had to stop," said the Mayor of Breda, Paul Depla.

Under the experiment's rules, production is limited to a few farms, whose produce will be closely scrutinised before it is delivered to coffee shops.

Another advantage here is that Customers will be assured a high-quality product, whereas before, it was not possible to be fully aware of where the cannabis had come from, how it had been grown, etc. The level of THC and CBD would also be measured so that consumers can have confidence in how strong their product is.

"The product will be clean, tested, pesticide-free", Ashwin Matai, Holland High farm's cultivation director, a new legal supplier of coffee shops. 

A team of independent researchers will oversee the trial with a view to potential decriminalisation in the long term.

The Geert Wilders factor is one hurdle facing the experiment and its possible outcomes. The far-right Party for Freedom recently won 37 seats in last month's general election and wants to scrap the tolerance policy altogether and instead push for a "drug-free Netherlands".

It's going to be interesting to watch the developments in the Netherlands over the next few years and to see the effects of this experiment.

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