Coffeeshops and the law

There is a popular misconception that soft drugs are legal in the Netherlands. Or that they are somehow sold legally in coffeeshops. In reality, the Netherlands is a signatory to a number of international treaties on a range of substances classed as illegal drugs. The country’s own national drug legislation, the 'Opium Act', has not been repealed and cannabis is still completely illegal.

On the other hand, possession of small amounts of cannabis for personal consumption is officially ‘tolerated’. In other words, the law is not enforced. This also applies to the sale of small amounts of cannabis in coffeeshops. However, the amount a coffeeshop can stockpile is strictly limited and, confusingly, the police still arrest growers and suppliers of cannabis to coffeeshops.

For more information see our Soft drugs FAQ 
 

These figures were published by Statistics Netherlands. The coalition agreement between the government parties states that coffeeshops must be at least 350 metres away from the nearest school.

Education Minister Marja van Bijsterveldt reacted by saying the 58 coffeeshops still located within that radius would have to move. Schools and coffeeshops are a bad combination, she said.

''This cabinet does not want students’ educational careers to go up in smoke.”

There were a total of 650 coffeeshops in the Netherlands in 2010. The majority of these were located in the provinces of North and South Holland.

The provinces of Flevoland, Zeeland and Drenthe accounted for less than three percent of all coffeeshops, and also the lowest number of coffeeshops per 100,000 inhabitants.

(gsh/imm)

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