What is the Coffeeshop Quality Mark?

The Coffeeshop Quality Mark is an independent process certificate that shows a coffeeshop has organised its entire operations transparently and verifiably. The quality mark is managed by Stichting CVIP (Cannabis Sales and Information Point), an independent non-profit foundation. The certification itself is carried out by an external, independent certification body — not by the holder of the quality mark.

The Dutch tolerance policy is outdated and creates structural challenges for our members. The tolerated back door means part of the operations is, by definition, outside the sight of supervisors. After the tightening of the Wwft (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Prevention Act) and the Wft in 2018, our entrepreneurs are classified by banks as high risk — not because of their own conduct, but because of the limitations of the policy.

Against that background, we as a sector examined how we could offer transparency in operations despite the limitations of the tolerance policy. The result is a process-based quality assurance system that has existed since 2007 and has been developed further into a Sector Standard (BRL) that makes the entire business verifiable.

• Makes operations transparent — cash flows, administration, processes, staff and products are recorded in a quality manual.
• Tests against legislation and regulations — the AHOJGI+ criteria from the Opium Act Directive, the Bibob Act and the Wwft.
• Safeguards professional competence — the mandatory course 'Cannabis Seller Professional Competence' or 'Cannabis Shop Skills Development' for staff.
• Supports banks' customer due diligence — the quality mark functions as a mitigating measure under the Wwft, in line with consultations with DNB and the NVB.