Several developments are underway that indicate that despite multiple ball drops, the Dutch government is committing to regulating the recreational cannabis industry – and that has huge European-wide implications.

For those who have been wondering, there is beginning to be a little clarity if not light on the evolving situation in Holland on the matter of a federal regulatory infrastructure if not policy to regulate the coffee shops.

Here is the first development. The tender bid in Holland has been almost as much of a disaster if not lawsuit strewn as the German version (to regulate medical). That said, there seems to be forward progress here too. After Aurora got fined for filing a frivolous lawsuit, it appears that the top contenders have been selected (after one dropped out).

This is not the end of the story, however. The situation is still as hazy as day-old bong smoke – namely, while the federal government will have oversight of the ten vendors selected and their supply chains, this still leaves out any and all of the industry operating in the largest cities.

That dichotomy too, however, is on the cards to change as well. Indeed, on June 2, members of the Dutch Parliament are meeting to discuss how the federal government will set cannabis policy for the country. Presumably, in other words, finally a federal move to consolidate the entire national industry.

This is a major, major development, no matter who has thrown shade at the process so far.

It is a frank admission, finally, among other things, that federal governments must get in front of, rather than lag behind on all things cannabis policy related. And at this point, even in Europe, that also includes the recreational discussion.

Why A Medical Reference Point Is So Important Going Forward

All of these things being said, the reality is that the development of the formal, medical market in Europe means that there is some basis in science for what then is used in any recreational market (from Holland and Luxembourg to Switzerland and beyond).

And in Europe, generally, that discussion has only just gotten started.

For example, in Switzerland, as the country begins to gear up for its recreational trial next year, the reference data on allowances for users has clearly come from the Canadian medical market (not the German one). The German one, by contrast, is currently half of the recommendations of the Canadian government (not to mention Israeli patient data).

This means, in other words, that an evolving if blended rec-medical market is going to move the needle here in the EU in a very different way – and have a lasting impact first on not the recreational but indeed, the medical market.

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