Background. Despite tolerated sales in coffeeshops since 1970s, production of recreational cannabis has remained unregulated in the Netherlands, forcing coffeeshops to supply from illegal growers. In 2024, Netherlands will kick-off an experiment to examine whether and how quality-controlled recreational cannabis can be supplied from licensed growers to 75 participating coffeeshops in a closed supply chain in 10 cities.
Objectives: The study evaluates the experiment and monitor developments in the participating municipalities on cannabis consumption, public health, public disorder, and the illegal market.
Methods: Quasi-experimental design compares 10 municipalities (intervention group) to a control group of 10 municipalities. Mixed methods approach includes: coffeeshop visitor counts (n=1252); surveys among coffeeshop visitors (n=922) and neighbourhood residents (n=437); online survey among illegal market buyers (n=788); interviews (n=130). Baseline data about purchasing behavior, substance use, health, nuisance and illegal transactions were collected Sept’21-Aug’22.
Results: Results show relatively satisfied customers who frequent coffeeshops primarily for the atmosphere, location and high-cannabis quality. Most customers (73%) are (almost) daily cannabis users. The main reason for buying outside coffeeshops is price. Hasj and weed are cheaper on the illegal market.
Implications: These findings set the stage for subsequent assessments and inform policymakers and researchers about evaluating cannabis policies. Results suggest recreative cannabis regulation must compete with the illegal market on quality, variety and price.
Stijn Hoorens is senior research leader at RAND Europe, a researcher at the RAND Drug Policy Center and Director of RAND's Netherlands office. Over the past 2 decades he has led and contributed to a range of international studies on drug policy. Most recently he has worked on regulation of recreational cannabis, drug-related corruption in ports, illicit tobacco trade, EU Drug Policy, and internet-facilitated drug trade.