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60% Of Netherlands Residents Want A Regulated Cannabis Industry

Written by Hazel Norman on . Posted in Business, Policy.

Few places on earth, if any, have as long and as storied of a history with cannabis consumption as the Netherlands. Amsterdam, which was home to the Cannabis Cup international competition for many years, has served as a top international cannabis tourist destination for decades.

Yet, as many parts of the world have successfully modernized their cannabis policies, the Netherlands has lagged behind on such reforms in many ways. Much of the cannabis industry in the Netherlands is still unregulated, with many of the nation’s famed cannabis cafes operating in a legal gray area at best.

According to a recent poll, a strong majority of residents in the Netherlands want to install regulations around the country’s cannabis industry, rather than letting the status quo remain. Per NL Times:

Six in ten Netherlands residents believe that the production, supply, and sale of cannabis and hashish should be legal. It is currently prohibited to grow cannabis, and growers are also not allowed to supply coffee shops, but the government tolerates the sale. Only 11 percent believe this current policy works well and nothing needs to change. That is the conclusion of Kieskompas and ANP based on a survey completed by over 6,000 Dutch people.

In almost all provinces, a majority is in favor of legalization. That group is the largest in Groningen and Flevoland, at around 70 percent. People from Drenthe and Zeeland are the least likely to favor legalization and are also the most likely to think that weed should not be tolerated at all.

Limited regional adult-use cannabis commerce trials are currently in operation in the Netherlands. Such trials permit a limited number of consumers, cultivators, and retailers to conduct cannabis production and purchases. The trials in the Netherlands first launched in December 2023 after a long delay.

For a time earlier this year, it appeared that the trials in the Netherlands would be halted, if not eliminated. However, such proposals have failed to materialize so far. Trials were approved in the Netherlands in Breda, Tilburg, Arnhem, Almere, Groningen, Heerlen, Hellevoetsluis, Maastricht, Nijmegen, and Zaanstad.

 A proposal to expand the cannabis trials to include the Amsterdam-Oost district was recently denied by members of the Netherlands Parliament.

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Cannabis Commerce Experiment In The Netherlands Will Not Include Amsterdam

Written by Hazel Norman on . Posted in Policy.

Cannabis trials, which permit consumers, growers, and retailers to participate in legal cannabis commerce for research purposes, were first proposed in the Netherlands in 2017 as part of a governing coalition agreement. The first trials officially launched in Breda and Tilburg in December 2023 after many delays.

Arnhem, Almere, Groningen, Heerlen, Hellevoetsluis, Maastricht, Nijmegen, and Zaanstad are other municipalities in the Netherlands selected for cannabis trials. However, a proposal to expand the cannabis trials to include the Amsterdam-Oost district was recently denied by members of the Netherlands Parliament.

Another set of motions, which would have either permanently ended cannabis trials in the Netherlands, or temporarily halted the public policy experiment, was also considered and denied by members of the Netherlands Parliament.

The set of motions was supported by members of the PVV, the largest party in the current governing coalition following recent elections. The proposal to permanently end cannabis pilot projects lost by a vote of 110-40, and the proposal to temporarily halt the pilot programs less than four months after they initially launched lost by a vote of 99-51.

Adult-use regional cannabis commerce pilot programs are already operating in multiple jurisdictions in Switzerland, and are also being proposed in Germany as part of the nation’s legalization model. German pilot programs are part of the ‘second pillar’ or phase of Germany’s legalization plan.

Such programs serve as a public policy experiment in which limited cannabis commerce is permitted to gather data and other information. In theory, the research gathered as part of an adult-use regional cannabis commerce pilot program can be used by lawmakers and regulators to be better suited when crafting national policies, rules, and regulations.

“The aim of the experiment is to ascertain whether or not it is possible to regulate a quality-controlled supply of cannabis to coffee shops and to study the effects of a regulated supply chain on crime, safety, public nuisance and public health. In order to allow the experiment to take place, special legislation must be adopted.” the Netherlands’ government stated when pilot programs were first proposed.

On January 22, 2019, the nation’s House of Representatives adopted a controlled cannabis supply chain experiment measure, followed by passage in the Senate on November 12, 2019. That afforded some of the estimated 570 cannabis-selling coffee shops in the country a path to participate in the eventual trials.

The initial timeline to launch the trials was 2021, however, that did not happen. The same was true for 2022, with the year coming and going and the Netherlands seeming to be no closer to achieving the full implementation of initial cannabis trials. The delays were reportedly due to a lack of legal supply at the time.

At one point in 2023, it appeared that the whole year would be lost to more delays, with the nation’s Health Minister Ernst Kuipers indicating that they did not want to roll out the trials in phases. A phased implementation was ultimately pursued. There appears to be no official timeline for the launch of additional pilot programs in the Netherlands.

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Is The Cannabis Experiment In The Netherlands In Trouble?

Written by Hazel Norman on . Posted in Policy.

Regional adult-use cannabis commerce trials, which permit consumers, growers, and retailers to participate in legal cannabis commerce for research purposes, were first proposed in the Netherlands in 2017 as part of a governing coalition agreement. Due to a series of delays, trials were not launched until December 2023.

Despite the nation’s cannabis trials being very new in the Netherlands, lawmakers in the European country are already trying to end the cannabis public policy experiment. According to domestic reporting, the nation’s largest political party, PVV, wants to pause the trials until a new governing coalition agreement is finalized.

The ChristenUnie, SGP, and CDA political parties also oppose cannabis trials in the Netherlands. Cannabis trials are still supported by the GroenLinks-PvdA, D66, and VVD parties.

Cannabis and the Netherlands have a long history, with the nation’s capital Amsterdam serving as one of the top international cannabis tourist destinations for several decades. Coffeeshops selling cannabis products are common in Amsterdam.

Such entities are historically ‘tolerated’ versus being outright legal. Public policy in the Netherlands has historically been disconnected from reality when it comes to cannabis, and the trials are a means to try to start bridging the gap.

“The aim of the experiment is to ascertain whether or not it is possible to regulate a quality-controlled supply of cannabis to coffee shops and to study the effects of a regulated supply chain on crime, safety, public nuisance and public health. In order to allow the experiment to take place, special legislation must be adopted.” the Netherlands’ government previously stated.

In September 2019, ten municipalities were selected for participation in cannabis trials, although legislation was still needed to allow the trials to proceed. On January 22, 2019, the nation’s House of Representatives adopted a controlled cannabis supply chain experiment measure, followed by passage in the Senate on November 12, 2019. That afforded some of the estimated 570 cannabis-selling coffee shops in the country a path to participate in the eventual trials.

The initial timeline to launch the trials was 2021, however, that did not happen. The same was true for 2022, with the year coming and going and the Netherlands seeming to be no closer to achieving the full implementation of initial cannabis trials. The delays were reportedly due to a lack of legal supply.

At one point in 2023, it appeared that the whole year would be lost to more delays, with the nation’s Health Minister Ernst Kuipers indicating that they did not want to roll out the trials in phases. However, the trials did launch in December 2023 in Breda and Tilburg.

Arnhem, Almere, Groningen, Heerlen, Hellevoetsluis, Maastricht, Nijmegen, and Zaanstad are other municipalities in the Netherlands that were selected for cannabis trials.

Cannabis trials are not unique to the Netherlands. Multiple cannabis trials are already underway in Switzerland, such as in cities like Zurich and Basel, with more expected to be launched during 2024. Cannabis trials are also planned for several jurisdictions in Germany as part of the second phase of the nation’s legalization plan.

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Cannabis Trials Begin In The Netherlands After Long Delay

Written by Hazel Norman on . Posted in Policy.

Limited adult-use cannabis commerce trials finally launched this week in the Netherlands after several delays. Cannabis trials, which permit consumers, growers, and retailers to participate in legal cannabis commerce for research purposes, were first proposed in the Netherlands in 2017 as part of a governing coalition agreement.

“The aim of the experiment is to ascertain whether or not it is possible to regulate a quality-controlled supply of cannabis to coffee shops and to study the effects of a regulated supply chain on crime, safety, public nuisance and public health. In order to allow the experiment to take place, special legislation must be adopted.” the Netherlands’ government stated at the time.

The push to launch cannabis trials in the Netherlands has experienced a series of setbacks. Back in September 2019, ten municipalities were selected for participation in the trials, although legislation was still needed to allow the trials to proceed.

On January 22, 2019, the nation’s House of Representatives adopted a controlled cannabis supply chain experiment measure, followed by passage in the Senate on November 12, 2019. That afforded some of the estimated 570 cannabis-selling coffee shops in the country a path to participate in the eventual trials.

The initial timeline to launch the trials was 2021, however, that did not happen. The same was true for 2022, with the year coming and going and the Netherlands seeming to be no closer to achieving the full implementation of initial cannabis trials. The delays were reportedly due to a lack of legal supply.

At one point in 2023, it appeared that the whole year would be lost to more delays, with the nation’s Health Minister Ernst Kuipers indicating that they did not want to roll out the trials in phases. Fortunately, the trials did launch this week in Breda and Tilburg.

Cannabis trials are not unique to the Netherlands. Multiple cannabis trials are already underway in Switzerland, such as in cities like Zurich and Basel, with more expected to be launched in the next calendar year.

The public policy concept of cannabis trials is a key component of the legalization model being pursued in Germany. Germany’s Commissioner for Addiction and Drug Issues Burkhard Blienert recently traveled to The Netherlands to discuss the concept:

Cannabis trials are expected to launch in other cities in the Netherlands, although it is still unclear when that will happen exactly. Arnhem, Almere, Groningen, Heerlen, Hellevoetsluis, Maastricht, Nijmegen, and Zaanstad are other municipalities in the Netherlands selected for cannabis trials.

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German Commissioner Visits The Netherlands To Learn About Cannabis Trials

Written by Hazel Norman on . Posted in Policy.

The European continent is home to a handful of interesting local cannabis public policy experiments often referred to as cannabis pilot trials or programs. The trials are designed, in theory, to collect consumer and commerce data at a local level to help national policymakers when they are crafting broader laws, rules, and regulations.

Switzerland has trials already in operation in multiple cities, each with its limits on the number of participants that can take part in the public policy experiment. The trials in Switzerland range in size from hundreds of consumers up to thousands, with each consumer being able to make legal purchases from regulated outlets that are also participating in the programs.

The adult-use legalization measure being considered in Germany also incorporates the concept of local cannabis commerce trials. Germany’s Commissioner for Addiction and Drug Issues Burkhard Blienert traveled to The Netherlands recently to discuss the concept:

Cannabis trials are not a part of adult-use legalization models in the Western Hemisphere. In both Uruguay and Canada, the first two nations to pass national adult-use legalization measures, cannabis sales are permitted nationwide. It is worth noting that Uruguay limits legal purchases to residents only.

The only other two nations to pass adult-use legalization measures at a national level are Malta and Luxembourg, and in the case of Luxembourg, the nation’s legalization model is very restrictive. Sales of any kind are still prohibited in Luxembourg.

In Malta, personal cultivation, possession, and consumption are all legal for adults, as well as permitted purchases via the nation’s growing list of noncommercial cannabis clubs. Malta has no current plans to expand its legalization model.

Germany, on the other hand, does have expressed plans to launch cannabis trials eventually, and when that happens the size and scope of the cannabis trials will likely be much larger than what is currently found elsewhere on the European continent, albeit on a timeline that is still unclear.

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Limited Legal Cannabis Sales Expected To Launch In The Netherlands This December

Written by Hazel Norman on . Posted in Business, Policy.

A long-awaited cannabis public policy experiment is reportedly set to launch on December 15th in two different municipalities in the Netherlands. Limited cannabis sales will be permitted at certain coffee shops in both Tilburg and Breda this winter according to the nation’s cabinet.

Health Minister Kuipers previously announced back in February that Tilburg and Breda would likely be the first of what will eventually be ten municipalities to participate in what is essentially an adult-use cannabis commerce pilot program, similar to what is already underway at the local level in Switzerland.

Germany is also expected to incorporate regional pilot programs into its legalization model. It’s a concept that is gaining in popularity in many European countries that are ramping up cannabis policy modernization efforts.

In theory, permitting local adult-use sales will provide government policymakers and regulators data to examine in order to be better suited to craft eventual national cannabis policies and industry rules and regulations. The concept is in line with continental and international agreements.

The launch of pilot programs in the Netherlands comes after a series of delays, and it wasn’t until the recent announcement that the nation’s government appeared to have backed off of its hardline stance that pilots could not begin until there were at least three cultivators.

Currently, only two cultivators are ready to supply the coffee shops in Tilburg and Breda, yet an exception was made to prevent further delays. Two more licensed cultivators are expected to start providing cannabis to the nation’s pilot program in February 2024. If everything goes as expected with the pilots in Tilburg and Breda, at least eight more municipalities will also launch pilot programs.

Additionally, at least one district in Amsterdam is expected to also become part of the cannabis public policy experiment which will permit coffee shop owners to sell a limited amount of cannabis to adults, although during the ‘start-up phase’ coffee shops are also allowed to sell ‘tolerated products’ from their unregulated suppliers.

Officials in the Netherlands have the authority to shut down the cannabis public policy experiment at any time if ‘abuses’ are found, which is a subjective measure. However, the cultivation facilities and outlets will be watched closely and local officials are optimistic that the experiment will succeed.

“With this start-up phase in Brabant we can gain first experiences, detect teething problems and gather the knowledge to perfect the experiment. In this way, we can make a flying start with the large-scale experiment.” stated Breda Mayor Dr. Paul Depla back in February (translated from Dutch to English).

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Cannabis In Subjects Pre-Treated With Pain Medications Doesn’t Negatively Impact Breathing

Written by Frank Schuler on . Posted in Science.

Opioids are exponentially more harmful compared to cannabis, however, there are times when both forms of medicine have to be consumed by the same patient on the same day. This could be due to various valid reasons and is entirely situational.

In those limited instances where consuming both medications is necessary, some medical professionals worry about any type of undesired side effects that may occur when the two medications interact in the patient’s body.

One lingering question seems to relate to how breathing may be affected, if at all. Fortunately, a team of researchers in the Netherlands investigated the matter and found no negative impact. Below is more information about it via a news release from NORML:

Leiden, The Netherlands: Cannabis inhalation in subjects pre-treated with oxycodone doesn’t negatively impact their breathing, according to clinical trial data published in the British Journal of Anesthesia.

Dutch investigators compared inhaled cannabis versus placebo in 18 healthy volunteers pre-treated with 20mgs of the prescription opioid oxycodone. Participants inhaled cannabis flower either 1.5 hours or 4.5 hours following opioid administration.

Researchers reported that the use of oxycodone alone was associated with depressed respiration. However, the combined use of THC and opioids failed to enhance this effect. “Our data do imply that oxycodone was solely responsible for the respiration depression in the oxycodone/THC arm of the study,” authors reported.

They concluded: “[I]n human volunteers, THC has no significant effect on ventilatory control after placebo or oxycodone pretreatment. This suggests that cannabinoid receptors do not interact with respiratory pathways in the brainstem, or that CB1 receptor activation is offset by an opposing effect at CB2 receptors.”

Unlike opioids, which are responsible for over 75,000 overdose deaths annually, cannabinoids are not defined as central nervous depressants and they are incapable of causing lethal overdose.

Controlled trials have shown that the co-administration of cannabis and opioids produces enhanced analgesic effects. Patients prescribed opioids typically reduce or eliminate their intake of opiate-based drugs following cannabis therapy.

Full text of the study, “Inhaled delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol does not enhance oxycodone-induced respiratory depression: Randomized controlled trial in healthy volunteers,” appears in the British Journal of Anesthesia. Additional information is available from the NORML Fact Sheet, ‘Relationship Between Marijuana and Opioids.’

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Cannabis Pilot Program Delayed Until At Least 2024 In The Netherlands

Written by Hazel Norman on . Posted in Policy.

Historically, the Netherlands served as the international leader when it came to cannabis in many ways, particularly Amsterdam. It was no secret that people flocked from all over the globe over the course of many years to partake in coffeeshop cannabis offerings.

Had the Netherlands embraced cannabis more in recent years, it would have made it nearly impossible for any other country to take its title, and the country would be reaping the economic benefits from a booming cannabis industry. However, that is not the case.

While cannabis reform has spread to other countries, including in Europe, the Netherlands has not experienced similar activity. If anything, attempts were made to limit cannabis commerce, although unregulated cannabis sales still thrive throughout the country, especially in Amsterdam.

The Netherlands was set to launch a cannabis commerce pilot program, similar to what is being pursued in Switzerland and Denmark. Unfortunately, the launch of the pilot program has experienced several delays, and it appears the delays will continue to pile up. Per NL Times:

Health Minister Ernst Kuipers said that the experiment in regulated cultivated cannabis will be postponed again. He expects that “as it stands now” only legally produced cannabis will be able to be sold in coffeeshops in eleven municipalities in 2024, and that it is not possible to launch the project during the second quarter of 2023 as previously announced. He does want to try to begin with a “start-up phase” in a smaller number of municipalities.

According to the minister, the implementation of the cannabis experiment is “extremely complicated” and he understood that to be the reason why it has been postponed several times. The first hurdle is the paperwork: arranging locations, obtaining permits and arranging a banking license has turned out to be very complex.

A cannabis pilot program involves allowing local jurisdictions to permit limited adult-use cannabis commerce with the goal of collecting information and data at the local level to give national lawmakers more insight when crafting national laws and regulations.

Of course, an adult-use cannabis legalization pilot program is only useful if it actually launches. At this point, even 2024 doesn’t seem certain for a program launch in the Netherlands. Meanwhile, the push for national legalization continues elsewhere. It will be interesting to see what the cannabis policy landscape looks like in Europe by 2024.

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Cannabis Pilot Program In The Netherlands Continues To Experience Delays

Written by Hazel Norman on . Posted in Policy.

Cannabis pilot programs are becoming more popular in Europe. For those that are unaware of what an adult-use cannabis pilot program entails, it’s a public policy concept that allows certain cities to allow limited adult-use cannabis sales, and for approved entities to cultivate the cannabis that is eventually sold via those pilot programs.

Pilot programs are ramping up in Switzerland, and Demark is working towards expanding its pilot program to several more cities. The Netherlands is another European country that is pursuing plans to launch pilot programs, however, the program has experienced a series of delays and the setbacks appear to keep coming.

The pilot program in The Netherlands was originally slated to begin in 2021, however, the launch date was pushed back previously, and per recent reports out of The Netherlands, it’s likely to be pushed back yet again. Per excerpts from Dutch News:

Marijuana growers who have been selected to take part in the government’s controlled cultivation trials have told the cabinet that they will not be ready to start early next year as the government intends, the NRC reported on Thursday.

Nine of 10 firms have written to ministers about the problems and some have spoken to the paper directly about the issues, the NRC said.

The experiment should have begun to 2021 but is now due to start in the second quarter of 2023. But the growers now say the end of next year is a more likely date.

It is obviously no secret that The Netherlands has served as a top international cannabis tourism destination for decades, with cannabis consumers coming to The Netherlands from all over the globe to partake in coffeeshop offerings, particularly in Amsterdam.

The nation’s pilot program would not be nationwide and would not be open to everyone, however, it would serve as an intermediary step towards finally getting some level of regulation in place which would hopefully then be adopted at the national level and include provisions for allowing sales to tourists.

The Netherlands, particularly Amsterdam, is well-suited to become the undeniable top legal international cannabis tourism destination and to reap the related economic rewards. Yet, the longer the nation drags its feet the more it concedes ground to other cities and countries around the world, and there is clearly an opportunity cost involved.