This document is the first research report in the context of the experiment with a closed cannabis supply chain in the Netherlands. During this experiment, ten municipalities will test the sale of legally grown cannabis in so-called coffeeshops. The report includes results on cannabis consumption, the sale of cannabis from tolerated dispensaries (coffeeshops) and the illegal sale of hash and weed prior to the introduction of the experiment.

Onderzoek Experiment Gesloten Coffeeshopketen: Rapportage voormeting 2021

[Study in support of the Controlled Cannabis Supply Chain Experiment: Pre-measurement report 2021]

Ralph Mennes, Stijn Hoorens, Margriet van Laar, Karin Monshouwer, Marleen Olthof, Pieter Oomen, Mafalda Pardal, Sander Rigter, Ruud Roodbeen, Irene Schoonbeek, et al.

ResearchPublished May 31, 2023

Cover: Onderzoek Experiment Gesloten Coffeeshopketen: Rapportage voormeting 2021
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Note: This report is in Dutch. An English-language summary is available.

This document is the first research report in the context of the experiment with a closed cannabis supply chain in the Netherlands. During this experiment, ten municipalities will conduct a pilot with the sale of legally grown cannabis. For this purpose, up to ten commercial cannabis growers are selected and granted (temporary) exemption from the Opium Act. The legal products will be exclusively sold in so-called 'coffeeshops', the licensed dispensaries that have existed in the Netherlands since the 1970s as part of its policy to tolerate (de facto legalise) cannabis retail sales.

The document reports on the methods used and results of monitoring efforts mapping the state of municipal coffeeshop policy, cannabis consumption, the (tolerated) sale of cannabis from coffeeshops and the illegal sale of hash and weed prior to the introduction of the experiment. The field work for this 'premeasurement' took place from September 2021 to April 2022, covering 10 intervention municipalities (where legally grown cannabis will be introduced as part of the experiment) and 9 comparison municipalities (where the status quo will continue) that are part of the experiment.

The researchers collected data from 110 coffeeshops about the cannabis products they offer by capturing menu card information. They conducted surveys with coffeeshop customers and with nearby residents and workers. An online survey based on a convenience sample was deployed to gather information about the illegal cannabis market in these 19 municipalities. Finally, the researchers analysed law enforcement registration data from these municipalities.

Key Takeaways

Cannabis on offer in coffeeshops

The menu card analysis showed that on average there is more weed than hash on the menus of coffeeshops. This is in line with findings from previous research that most cannabis consumers prefer weed over hash. In general, customers are (very) satisfied with the cannabis they purchase in the coffeeshops. They are mainly satisfied with the high quality of the purchased product

Risky cannabis use

Almost two thirds of the surveyed coffeeshop customers scored high on risky 'cannabis use'. A relatively high percentage (almost a quarter) of visitors also always or mostly appear to use cannabis for medicinal purposes. Health incidents due to cannabis use are relatively rare

Public disorder and nuisance

This study shows that hardly any nuisance caused by the coffeeshop and/or its visitors is experienced in the immediate vicinity of the coffeeshop. This is in line with many studies on the quality of life in neighbourhoods around coffeeshops in recent years.

Illegal cannabis market

For users buying cannabis outside the coffeeshop, the price and/or price-quality ratio seems to be a decisive factor for buying on the illegal market. These purchases are mainly made from delivery services and more often involve cannabis than hashish. In general, respondents are satisfied with the product they bought outside the coffeeshop.

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Document Details

  • Copyright: RAND Corporation, Breuer&Intraval and Trimbos-instituut
  • Publisher: RAND Corporation
  • Availability: Web-Only
  • Year: 2023
  • Pages: 133
  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.7249/RRA2735-1
  • Document Number: RR-A2735-1

Citation

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Mennes, Ralph, Stijn Hoorens, Margriet van Laar, Karin Monshouwer, Marleen Olthof, Pieter Oomen, Mafalda Pardal, Sander Rigter, Ruud Roodbeen, Irene Schoonbeek, and Ben Senator, Onderzoek Experiment Gesloten Coffeeshopketen: Rapportage voormeting 2021: [Study in support of the Controlled Cannabis Supply Chain Experiment: Pre-measurement report 2021]. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2023. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA2735-1.html.
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The research described in this report was commissioned by the Research and Documentation Centre (WODC) and conducted by Breuer&Intraval, RAND Europe and the Trimbos Institute.

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