It has been possible to buy intoxicating cannabis from cannabis cafes for a long time. However, cafes have not been able to buy cannabis legally.
In the Netherlands, cannabis cafes were allowed to sell legally grown cannabis for the first time in the cities of Tilburg and Breda in the province of North Brabant on Friday.
It’s about a half-year experiment, which is supposed to expand to the whole country. The Netherlands already decided on the experiment in 2019, but its start has been constantly postponed for various reasons.
In the first phase of the experiment, the cannabis cafes located in Breda and Tilburg can buy cannabis from three cannabis growers approved by the authorities, the Dutch public broadcasting company NOS tells.
– We have been waiting for this for more than 40 years, the owner of a cannabis cafe in Breda Ed Pattche cheered for NOS.
According to Pattché, cannabis regulated by the authorities is of good quality, pesticide-free and, in the long run, slightly cheaper than illegal cannabis.
Illegal but accepted
It has been possible to buy small amounts of cannabis from cannabis cafes in the Netherlands for decades under certain conditions. The capital of the Netherlands, Amsterdam, has become known for its numerous cannabis cafes and the tourists who come to the city after them.
Cannabis is still classified as an illegal drug.
This has led to a strange situation where cannabis cafes are allowed to sell cannabis, but have to buy it illegally. Therefore, the cultivation of cannabis has largely been left to criminal organizations.
The purpose of the legalization experiment that has started now is to increase the authorities’ supervision of the sale of cannabis and take away the market from criminals.
In the beginning, the results may remain rather thin, as the owners of cannabis cafes fear that there is not enough cannabis available.
During the trial period, cafes are still allowed to sell cannabis that has been bought illegally.
Later, however, cannabis cafes are to be required to sell only legally grown cannabis. Cafes are also supposed to get permission to keep larger quantities of cannabis. Now the amount is limited to 500 grams, which cafe owners have considered too small.
In Finland, cannabis is classified as an illegal drug.