Understanding Holland’s Marijuana Market

Holland is the only country in the world where marijuana can be purchased legally for recreational use. It is sold in small portions in the local coffee shops but with a few restrictions. Contrary to popular belief marijuana is still illegal in large quantity in Amsterdam and highly regulated. The structured laws associated with the sale and use of marijuana is actually apart of Holland’s harm reduction program related to illicit hard drugs in the country.

Restrictions

No transactions larger than 5 grams per day per person can be purchased from any given coffee shop. No one under the age of 18 is allowed in the coffee shops at any time. Failure to comply will result in the closing of the shop. More than a million tourist per year travel to Amsterdam to smoke marijuana in the coffee shops. But few understand the restrictions that can get them into trouble if not followed. And no tourist wants to face legal prosecution in any foreign country.

Amsterdam’s Harm Reduction Program

The Amsterdam authorities believe they can prevent marijuana from becoming a gateway drug for harder drugs by legalizing it and keeping it strictly regulated. The policy seems to be working. Holland has 85% lower drug overdoses than America, making it the lowest rate in Europe. But when it comes to supplying marijuana some Holland growers operate in the gray area of what is legally allowed.

The Gray Area of Coffee Shop Marijuana

Production and large scale distribution remains illegal in Holland. To supply enough marijuana for a coffee shop’s average 3000 daily customers, owners must turn to commercial black market producers. They supply the producers with seeds which they in turn use to grow more marijuana for the coffee shops. This results in a cat and mouse game between the coffee shops and the police. Once the marijuana is purchased from the illicit suppliers it must be cut and prepared in a safe house. Coffee shop regulations in Amsterdam only allow 500 grams to be kept on the premises at any given time. From the safe house the marijuana is delivered to the coffee shop every few hours.

The system of semi-legal marijuana sale and use in Holland is important for American who use and produce marijuana. In same ways, those who intend to enter this market in the US can learn from those that successfully lead a legal marijuana market across the world in Amsterdam. But it’s important to understand both here in the US and in Amsterdam, marijuana is illegal.