Cannabis is still illegal under Dutch law, yet coffeeshops sell it openly. This guide explains the tolerance policy that makes that possible and the conditions that come with it.

A policy of tolerance

Under the Dutch Opium Act, possessing, selling and producing cannabis are offences. The Netherlands has nevertheless chosen, since the 1970s, not to prosecute certain limited activity. The Dutch word for this approach is gedoogbeleid, usually translated as tolerance policy. Tolerance is not legalisation: it is a decision about when the authorities will not act.

Where it came from

The Opium Act was revised in 1976 to separate cannabis from drugs with higher risks, such as heroin and cocaine. The reasoning was that treating cannabis as a lower priority would keep its users away from dealers who also offered harder drugs. Coffeeshops grew from that decision, first informally and then under written guidelines.

The conditions

A coffeeshop is tolerated only while it follows a set of rules. The best known are often summarised as the AHOJ-G criteria, which are:

  • No advertising for cannabis.
  • No hard drugs on the premises.
  • No nuisance to the neighbourhood.
  • No sales to anyone under 18, and no entry for them.
  • No large quantities: no more than 5 grams sold to one person per day.

Shops may also hold only a limited stock at any one time, and alcohol is not sold. Local authorities can add conditions, and a shop that breaks the rules risks closure.

The "back door" problem

The system has an awkward gap. A shop may sell to customers, but the supply that reaches its back door is not covered by the tolerance policy. Growing and wholesale trade remain illegal. That contradiction is one reason for the regulated-supply experiment that some Dutch municipalities have been part of.

What it means for a visitor

  • You may buy up to 5 grams a day in a licensed coffeeshop if you are 18 or older.
  • Do not expect the same tolerance outside a coffeeshop. Buying on the street is illegal and often unsafe.
  • Rules can differ between towns, and local authorities decide how they apply them.
  • Policy changes over time, so check current information before you travel.

This page is general information and not legal advice. If you need to be sure of the current rules, check with the municipality or the shop.