Cannabis Legalization in the Netherlands

The Netherlands is the largest exporter of medical cannabis in Europe and there are an estimated 9,000 patients currently being prescribed cannabis treatment in the country.

In 1976, the Netherlands decriminalises possession of small amounts of cannabis for personal use and low volume sales via retailers that operate under strict licensing conditions.

In 2001, the Office of Medical Cannabis was created to be responsible for licensing, import, export, distribution. In 2003, the Netherlands legalises medical cannabis.

Dutch doctors usually prescribe cannabis for patients suffering from Tourette Syndrome, chronic pain, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord damage, symptoms associated with cancer and AIDS or for those who undergo treatments for cancer and HIV/AIDS. However, the doctors are allowed to prescribe cannabis for any condition, if the circumstances make it the best option for the patient.

All production of medical cannabis is undertaken by the company Bedrocan and supplied to the Office of Medical Cannabis (OMC) for distribution and export. As of September 2021, the government reduced the price of cannabis sold both domestically and exported abroad to €5.50 and €5.30 per gram of cannabis flower for a 5 gram order correspondingly.

Cannabis Market in the Netherlands: Stats and Perspectives

In July 2019, the OMC published a tender for new producers. In autumn 2019, the Dutch government announced a new legal Cannabis trial in ten cities across the country with population from 38,000 residents to over 200,000. During the study, all coffee shops in participating cities across the country will be obliged to replace their current suppliers with government-approved suppliers. If the pilot study is successful, the government is expected to consider changing the law to allow legal, government-approved Cannabis growers to supply the market. Legislation to allow the experiment came into effect on 1 July 2020. In December 2020, ten growers were chosen to produce an estimated amount of 65,000 kilograms of cannabis per year for the experiment.

In 2023, the Ministries of Public Health and Justice in the Netherlands announced the launch of a preliminary phase of the experiment in Tilburg and Breda. The pilot program will end in the first quarter of 2024. After this period, the government will evaluate the results and determine whether the experiment will extend to other cities and towns that enrolled in the pilot.

There are about 9,000 registered medical cannabis patients and 570 coffeeshops in the Netherlands.

According to the sixth edition of the European Cannabis Report – produced by London-based advisory group Prohibition Partners – the Netherlands could be the largest adult-use cannabis market in Europe by way of sales.

Netherlands Cannabis Market Infographics