Dutch experiment with legal cannabis production suffers further delays

The cannabis growers who have been selected to take part in controlled cannabis cultivation trials in the Netherlands have informed the Dutch government that they will not be ready to start early next year as the government had planned.

The experience should have started in 2021. Designated producers now say the end of next year is a more likely date.

Project objective, launched five years ago, is to eliminate the grey area between coffee shops and illegal cultivation.

The D66 coalition party was particularly enthusiastic about this project, which MPs believed would reduce the role of organized crime in the soft drugs circuit.

Ten cities - Arnhem, Almere, Breda, Groningen, Heerlen, Hellevoetsluis, Maastricht, Nijmegen, Tilburg and Zaanstad - finally agreed, and ten growers pledged to supply a wide range of cannabis products.

For the time being, some growers have been unable to obtain bank accounts, as banks fear money laundering and support for criminal behavior. High energy prices, supply delays and problems with the tracking and tracing system that will control the destination and sale of cannabis products are also causing difficulties, according to the letter seen by the NRC media.

The Dutch government responded to NRC, saying that they were talking to the banks about bank accounts, without committing to unblocking the issue, and that they did not share the concerns about the tracking system which would be operational.

Further information on the continuation of the experiment will be published by the Dutch government in December.