Part of: Closed coffeeshop chain experiment
Range and consumer preference
The product range within the experiment is in practice narrower than what customers are used to. Coffeeshops have to avoid customers turning to street dealing because they can no longer get their preferred variety.
Availability of hashish
The production of regulated hashish started later than that of cannabis flower. That is why a temporary exemption applied until 1 September 2025 allowing unregulated hashish to still be sold. The real risk is that an overly narrow hashish range still pushes customers toward the illegal market.
Price and margins
Regulated production carries higher costs than the current back door. Without workable margins, coffeeshops' business continuity comes under pressure; at the same time the front-door price cannot rise so far that the illegal market becomes more attractive.
Scalability of cultivation
With (currently) four actively supplying growers, the chain remains vulnerable to disruptions — failed harvests, quality problems, or the loss of a single grower affect the entire system.
Two speeds in one sector
As long as the experiment runs, part of the sector operates within a regulated chain while the larger part operates within the tolerance framework. That creates unequal conditions — toward banks, insurers and local policy — and requires careful alignment.
Political uncertainty
The experiment was declared controversial in June 2025. Policy and politics are on pause until a new cabinet is formed. That offers protection on the one hand (the experiment cannot be cancelled), but also leads to a standstill on scale-up and any possible continuation after 2030.