Update: postponement of the experimental phase of the Closed Coffeeshop Supply Chain Experiment

5 AUGUST 2024 | NEWS

In a recent letter to the House of Representatives, the Dutch government shared important information about the Closed Coffeeshop Supply Chain Experiment. The experiment is in the transition phase across the ten participating municipalities, in which regulated cannabis products are sold alongside tolerated products.

Postponement of the start of the experimental phase

The original aim was for the experimental phase — in which only regulated cannabis may be sold — to start shortly after the transition phase. The recent letter announces that the start of the experimental phase has been postponed. Several factors are responsible:

• Production capacity of the designated growers is not yet sufficient to fully supply the participating coffeeshops.
• The diversity of the regulated supply (strains, formats, hashish) needs further expansion.
• Several growers are not yet operational and must still go through final approval steps before they may deliver.

The government emphasises that a hard start of the experimental phase requires a stable, diverse and sufficient supply. Starting too early would risk pushing consumers back to the illegal market and could undermine the experiment as a whole.

Lessons from the transition phase

The transition phase, in which coffeeshops may sell both tolerated and regulated products, has already produced useful insights:

• Practical experience with secure transport and the Track & Trace system.
• Cooperation between growers, coffeeshops, municipalities and supervisors is improving step by step.
• Operational and administrative obligations are sharpening, but also reveal where additional guidance is needed.

These lessons feed directly into preparations for the experimental phase and into the final design of the regulatory framework.

Concerns from operators and municipalities

Coffeeshop owners and several mayors in the participating municipalities have voiced concerns about the postponement. They point to:

• Stock-keeping issues created by the parallel supply.
• Uncertainty about the exact start date of the experimental phase.
• The risk that prolonged uncertainty undermines confidence among consumers, staff and growers.

The government acknowledges these concerns and commits to clear communication about the next steps and the final start date.

Next steps

The ministries are continuing to work with growers, municipalities and the supervisors (NVWA, IJenV, mayors) to:

• Monitor production capacity and quality.
• Ensure adequate diversity of supply.
• Finalise the operational and administrative framework.
• Set a realistic start date for the experimental phase.

The Bond van Cannabis Detaillisten (BCD) continues to follow developments closely and will keep its members informed via this platform.