Dutch experiment in legal cannabis cultivation postponed again

L‘he Dutch experience of regulated cannabis cultivation has been postponed once again. The trial will not start until the second quarter of 2023, said Public Health Minister Ernst Kuipers and Justice and Security Minister Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius in a letter to Parliament. The original plan was to start regulated cannabis sales in 2020. This was then postponed to the second half of 2022 and now to next year.

According to the ministers, it is taking longer than expected to reach the point «where the quantity, quality and diversity» of legally cultivated cannabis is sufficient. to provide participating coffeeshops with sufficient stocks. They expect this point to be reached in the first half of next year at the earliest.

The grower selection «is taking longer than expected, and many of them are having difficulty finding a location,» the ministers wrote. So far, eight of the ten producers participating in the experiment have been selected. «We expect the ninth and tenth growers to be selected shortly.

The ministers now hope to begin the «transition phase» of the experiment in the second quarter of 2023. During this phase, participating coffeeshops will sell both regulated and tolerated cannabis.

Six weeks later, the experiment will begin in full, with participating coffeeshops selling only cannabis from designated growers. The experiment will last four years.