Dossiers, knowledge & insights

Dossiers & knowledge base

What is happening in the Dutch coffeeshop sector right now plus the topics behind the policy — current dossiers, history, context and the state of play in one place.

Evidence- based
Interactive timeline
1976
to today

Whitepaper · BCD

A timeline of political decisions and their impact on coffeeshops

From the introduction of the tolerance policy in 1976 to the Cannabis Experiment — every law, motion and local policy choice that shaped the Dutch coffeeshop sector, on one interactive timeline (Dutch).

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Dossiers & knowledge base

Dossiers and topics

What is happening now and the knowledge behind it — search by keyword.

Cover Scarce licencesKnowledge page
Licensing

Scarce licences

A tolerance declaration is not a licence under the EU Services Directive. Scarcity arises because municipalities cap the number themselves — and that does not create an obligation to run lotteries or periodic redistribution. Norm-setting is possible instead of capping.

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