Part of: Closed coffeeshop chain experiment
All measurement moments in the evaluation: baseline, zero measurement, follow-up measurements during the experimental phase and the final evaluation.
Why there are several measurements
The evaluation of the closed coffeeshop chain experiment is not a single study but a series of measurements at fixed moments. By measuring the same topics in the same way — in the ten participating municipalities and in the control municipalities — the research team can track developments over time. Every measurement is an interim picture; only the final evaluation gives the overall assessment.
The research is carried out by a consortium of RAND Europe, Breuer Onderzoek & Intraval Advies and the Trimbos Institute, commissioned by and published through the WODC.
All measurement moments
Baseline measurement — September 2021 to April 2022
A description of the situation before the experiment started: interviews with stakeholders, coffeeshop visits, surveys among visitors, residents and staff, and analysis of menus. This measurement is the reference point for later measurements.
Zero measurement — 2022
Additional recording of the starting situation in the intervention and control municipalities, so that later differences can be attributed to the experiment rather than to external factors.
Start of the experimental phase — 7 April 2025
From this date participating coffeeshops sell only regulated cannabis. A temporary exemption for hashish applied until 1 September 2025. This is the starting point for measurements during the experimental phase.
First follow-up measurement — 2025 report
The first measurement within the experimental phase. Key findings: no increase in measured cannabis consumption, a broader product range, lower prices for regulated cannabis, more transparency in the chain and no clear negative development in liveability and safety. No clear shift has yet been measured in the non-regulated market.
Further follow-up measurements — according to current planning
More measurements on the same topics will follow during the experimental phase. Their publication dates are not fixed and depend on the duration of the experiment and the consortium's planning.
Final evaluation — after the experiment ends
The concluding part of the evaluation, envisaged after the end of the experimental phase (under current law around 2029/2030, with a possible extension). Only then can the legislator draw conclusions from all measurements combined.
What each measurement examines
- Measured cannabis consumption and consumer behaviour.
- Product range, prices and availability.
- Shifts between the regulated and the non-regulated market.
- Liveability, safety and nuisance around coffeeshops.
- How the closed chain, track & trace and transparency work.
- Business operations of growers, distribution and coffeeshops.