Solving the Dutch pot paradox: Legal to buy, but not to grow
“Right now, you are allowed to buy the milk, but you can’t know anything about the cow”
Sunday, March 25, 2018
In the Netherlands it is illegal to grow more than five cannabis plants for recreational use in what has long been seen as Europe’s marijuana capital. And the Dutch national police actively seek out and shut down hundreds of operations a year. While licensed coffee shops have the right to sell small amounts of recreational cannabis and hash to buyers older than 18, they have to rely on the black market to acquire their wares in bulk. The government is taking steps to address the situation. It has proposed a pilot program to explore the effects of legalizing. “To make the system logical again is to also tolerate the production of the cannabis,” said Paul Depla, the mayor of Breda and an outspoken proponent of legalization. (See also: Dutch ministers outline 4-year trial to supply cannabis to coffeeshops)
