This is an English translation. The original Dutch article is authoritative.
The Trimbos-instituut recently published the results of the interpretation session on problematic cannabis use, commissioned by the National Rapporteur on Addictions. The report is based on national figures from the Nationale Drug Monitor (NDM), the LADIS register (National Alcohol and Drug Information System), and interviews with experts from care, prevention, and policy. The figures show that the number of people using cannabis has been stable for years, but the number of people with risky or problematic use is increasing. At the same time, the number of people receiving help through addiction care has fallen. Trimbos therefore speaks of a possible care gap: more people experience problems, but fewer people receive help.
The interpretation session on which the report is based took place in May 2024 and was facilitated by the Trimbos-instituut. Participants included researchers, prevention workers, healthcare professionals, experts by experience, and youth workers, including Dr. Ton Nabben (HvA), Menno Segeren (GGD Amsterdam), Peter Greeven (Novadic-Kentron), Andrea Breebaart (BrijderPreventie), and Dimitri Breeuwer (Stichting Vakbekwaamheid Cannabis Keten). Their collective observations provide a nuanced picture: use is not increasing, but the way in which and the context in which people use cannabis is changing.
Stable use, changed context
The figures show that the percentage of Dutch people using cannabis has hardly changed in recent years. However, professionals note that young people are starting to smoke at a younger age, buy more often outside of coffeeshops, and have a preference for stronger products with a high THC content. “Cannabis use is more visible and socially more accepted. It is not necessarily more, but it feels more normal,” said one of the participants in the interpretation session. Trimbos describes that cannabis use is more visible and socially more accepted than before. At the same time, professionals notice that young people talk about their use earlier and that there is more openness to seek help when needed. These observations come from the interpretation session and reflect what professionals signal in their daily practice.
Trimbos describes that during and after the corona period, more people started using cannabis to relax or sleep better. Where smoking was previously often a social activity, use occurred more frequently on an individual basis during that period. With the loss of social contacts and meeting places, a significant part of social control also disappeared. Professionals see that as a result, people began using out of habit more quickly and were less likely to be addressed or supported by their environment. The figures and interpretation show how important social context is for responsible use. When interaction and supervision are lacking, a risk of problematic use arises more quickly.
According to figures from the LADIS register, the number of clients receiving help for cannabis-related problems fell from over 11,000 in 2011 to 9,231 in 2022, with only a small increase in 2023 (9,967). At the same time, the population grew during that period from approximately 16.6 million to 17.8 million inhabitants. This raises the question of how these figures relate to population growth: the slight increase in absolute numbers seems, relatively speaking, to point rather to a decrease in the proportion of people receiving help. In the same period, the number of people meeting the criteria for a cannabis disorder doubled. That difference – rising problems, falling demand for help – is supported in the report by figures and practical observations.
The coffeeshop as a regulated environment
Both the figures and the qualitative interpretation show that cannabis is increasingly used as a coping mechanism: to relax, sleep, or reduce stress. Professionals note that this use is not immediately problematic, but it does lead to daily use more often. Because it feels functional, it is rarely recognised as risky. “Cannabis is used more often as self-medication for stress or insomnia,” said one of the interviewees. “People do not always recognise that as problematic because it helps temporarily.” Here too, where use is discussable, such as in the coffeeshop, the risk of it remaining invisible is smaller.
As an industry, we have been advocating for years for the preservation of that social function of the coffeeshop: a place where consumers come together, where knowledge is shared, and providing information is a matter of course. Staff are trained to answer questions, to signal when use might become problematic, and to refer individuals if necessary. In the coffeeshop, there is supervision, transparency, and social control. These are important elements that help reduce risks. It is a recognisable, low-threshold environment where use remains visible and where there is room for conversation, instead of displacement to the living room or the street.
Professionals also note that young people often obtain their cannabis outside of the coffeeshop. Availability via social media, street sales, or even delivery services makes the product easily accessible and hard to control. Consequently, young people receive no information about potency or risks and often develop a preference for stronger varieties before reaching the age of 18. Furthermore, dealing cannabis seems to be an attractive way for some young people to earn money, especially when it can be combined with other work, such as delivering pizzas. As a result, it often goes unnoticed by parents, while young people are not always aware of the risks and consequences of dealing. In the interpretation session, it was emphasised that the presence of a regulated point of sale, where information, supervision, and social control are present, is of great importance to limit risks. Structural regulation and legalisation of the chain would be the only way to truly tackle this problem, as quality and sales could then be better monitored.
Greatest risks outside the regulated circuit
The Trimbos figures show that the greatest risks occur outside the regulated circuit. Those who buy via social media, street dealers, or private contacts have no insight into composition, strength, or risks. In the coffeeshop, this is different. There is clear product information, and within the closed coffeeshop supply chain experiment, labelling of THC and CBD levels also applies. Staff are trained and can answer questions, provide information, and signal when use becomes problematic. There is strict age control, ensuring minors do not have access. Additionally, the coffeeshop has a social function: customers do not just come to buy, but also to meet each other, which ensures social control and visibility of behaviour. Moreover, there is continuous insight into trends in use and preferences, enabling early detection of risks. During the corona period, coffeeshops proved their social value. They remained open under strict conditions, kept trade out of the illegal circuit, and offered a recognisable, stable environment for adult users. The risks described by Trimbos – starting early, stronger products, use without context – occur where the coffeeshop is absent, not where it functions as intended.
In the parliamentary letter from State Secretary Tielen (VWS) of 7 October 2025, it is acknowledged that these figures are concerning, especially for vulnerable groups. However, the State Secretary proposes no new policy and leaves the follow-up to a subsequent cabinet. This makes it all the more important that the industry continues to fulfil its social role by sharing knowledge, taking signals seriously, and providing transparency in practice.
The new research from the Trimbos-instituut shows, based on figures and practical observations, that cannabis use in the Netherlands is stable, but circumstances are changing. Risks increase where knowledge, supervision, and social control are lacking—precisely the elements that the coffeeshop does provide. The interpretation session shows that risks primarily increase outside the regulated circuit.
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