Amsterdam put forward the city district of Amsterdam-Oost to participate in the national experiment to regulate the cannabis supply chain for coffeeshops, the municipality announced on Wednesday.
The national project aims to assess the feasibility of legalizing the production, distribution, and sale of cannabis. While the Netherlands tolerates the sale of cannabis in coffeeshops, its production and supply are still considered illegal. This so-called "tolerance policy" leads to coffeeshops purchasing wholesale cannabis through illegal means via the back door, a situation that carries implications for crime, safety, and public health.
Throughout the duration of the trial, coffeeshops will sell regulated, quality-controlled cannabis produced by selected growers. The experiment is expected to start in the first quarter of 2024 and run for 4 to 5.5 years.
The Amsterdam mayor and the coalition of aldermen argued that it was important for the city of Amsterdam to be included in the experiment, as "the results of the experiment may eventually lead to changes in the tolerance policy, which may greatly affect the coffeeshops and cannabis market in Amsterdam." Later this year, the municipality plans to start discussions with the coffeeshops located in Amsterdam-Oost about the future of the process.
Amsterdam previously expressed interest in participating in the trial, but it turned out to be impossible due to the large number of coffee shops in the city (166).
Read more at nltimes.nl