On 7 April 2025, the Netherlands launched the experimental phase of its regulated cannabis trial, the wietexperiment. Ten municipalities, around 80 coffeeshops and up to ten licensed growers are meant to show that a regulated chain from cultivation to sale can work in practice. The first year is now behind them.
For anyone following cannabis policy in Europe, the Netherlands is effectively a live experiment in what regulated cannabis can look like. In short: it is going better than many expected, but not without problems.
At a glance
- The trial started on 7 April 2025 in ten municipalities, including Breda, Tilburg, Groningen and Arnhem.
- The participating coffeeshops may only sell cannabis from licensed growers.
- The regulator found no signs of criminal infiltration during the first year.
- Hash has been the biggest challenge, because Moroccan hash cannot be imported legally.
- The trial runs into 2029 and can be extended by 18 months.
What the experiment is about
The wietexperiment is the Dutch government’s attempt to resolve a legal contradiction that has existed for decades. Coffeeshops have long been allowed to sell cannabis under a tolerance policy, but buying cannabis from growers has always been illegal. The experiment connects licensed growers directly with the participating coffeeshops and shuts out the illegal supply chain.
The experimental phase lasts four years, running into 2029, with the option of an 18-month extension. Whether the rules will apply nationwide will only be decided after the evaluation.
The first year in numbers
At the one-year mark, around 76 coffeeshops were selling only regulated cannabis. The largest grower, CanAdelaar, increased its revenue from US$17.7 million in 2024 to US$47.3 million in the twelve months to September 2025, a clear sign that demand in the regulated chain is real.
The regulator carried out 46 inspections at the growers during the year and found 42 violations, mainly involving entries in the tracking system and security. This led to 19 warnings and four fines of between €1,000 and €20,000. No signs of criminal infiltration were found, and daily life in the participating cities looks much as it did before. The mayor of Breda reports no street dealing and no drop in sales.
Amsterdam is not taking part, however. The government designated the Oost district in 2023, but parliament voted against it in March 2024, so the trial still covers ten municipalities.
What went wrong
The launch was messy. In the weeks before the start, coffeeshop owners wrote to the mayors that the 7 April date was not feasible. They lacked affordable flower, good-quality hash, pre-rolled joints, edibles and the popular strains customers actually ask for. Only about seven of the ten growers were expected to be able to deliver from the start.
Already during the transition phase, from June 2024, coffeeshops were allowed to sell both regulated cannabis and their old tolerated stock. For hash, the mayors agreed not to take action against illegal hash until 10 June 2025, and this period was later extended to 1 September 2025 to give growers time to scale up production.
Hash has been the biggest headache. Moroccan hash accounts for about 20 percent of Dutch cannabis consumption, but it cannot be bought legally, because Morocco does not allow export for recreational use and international conventions stand in the way. The Dutch hash produced for the trial has been described as stronger and more expensive than customers were used to, with a lower CBD content than traditional Moroccan hash. By September 2025 the selection had improved considerably, with one coffeeshop going from three legal hash varieties in April to fifteen in September. The import question, however, remains unresolved.
Hash with plenty of CBD and almost no THC is already available today as CBD hash, which is sold legally in large parts of Europe. You can find our range in the CBD hash category.
The politics
The trial has broad support in parliament. In March 2026, a ChristenUnie and SGP motion to end the trial was voted down, with only 39 of 150 members backing it. The new government of D66, VVD and CDA has also written into its coalition agreement that the trial will continue and be evaluated.
The biggest risk has been political. When the government fell in June 2025, parliament declared the trial controversial, which meant that no major changes could be made until a new government was in place.
The trial has also attracted interest abroad. In December 2025, the Canadian cannabis company Cronos Group announced that it would buy CanAdelaar for €57.5 million plus an earn-out. The deal is still awaiting approval from the Dutch authorities.
The latest from autumn 2026
In September 2026, researchers from the Trimbos Institute, RAND Europe and Breuer&Intraval published their first follow-up measurement. The average number of products per coffeeshop had risen from 10.8 to 34.2, and the price of flower had fallen from €12.06 to €10.08 per gram. The researchers also found no difference in how often people used cannabis compared with municipalities outside the trial.
What does it mean for the rest of Europe?
The wietexperiment is not just a Dutch story. It is a live test of whether regulated cannabis for adults can work in a European context, with all the legal, logistical and political complexity that entails. Germany legalised cannabis for adults in 2024, and you can read how that has gone in our article on Germany’s cannabis law two years on.
The Czech Republic is another sign that Europe is slowly changing, and you can read more about it in our article on Cannafest and legalisation in the Czech Republic.
If the evaluation goes well, the Netherlands may have a model that other countries can borrow. One year in, the conclusion seems to be that regulation is complicated, that the supply chain takes time to build and that hash is harder than flower. But the trial is running, the coffeeshops are selling and the streets are calm. That is more than many expected.
What is the wietexperiment?
A Dutch trial in which coffeeshops in ten municipalities may only sell cannabis from licensed growers. The aim is to see whether a fully regulated chain from cultivation to sale works.
When did the wietexperiment start?
The experimental phase started on 7 April 2025 and runs into 2029, with the option of an 18-month extension.
Which cities take part in the trial?
Almere, Arnhem, Breda, Groningen, Heerlen, Maastricht, Nijmegen, Tilburg, Voorne aan Zee and Zaanstad.
Why has hash been a problem?
Moroccan hash, which accounts for about a fifth of consumption, cannot be imported legally. The Dutch hash has been criticised for being stronger and more expensive, although the selection has improved.
Is Amsterdam part of the wietexperiment?
No. In 2024 parliament voted against adding the Oost district, so the trial still covers ten municipalities.
Sources
- Government of the Netherlands (2025). Experimental phase of the closed coffee shop chain experiment starts on April 7th.
- NL Times (2026). One year of Dutch regulated cannabis experiment an apparent success, fines issued.
- DutchNews (2026). One year of legal Dutch cannabis with no signs of crime.
- Courthouse News. The Netherlands is in the midst of a bold new experiment with cannabis.
- NL Times (2025). Regulated cannabis trial: participating coffeeshops can now sell regulated hashish.
- NOS (2024). Geen legale wietproef in Amsterdam, Kamer wil wel door met experiment.
- NOS (2025). Tweede Kamer praat verder over stikstof, niet over wietexperiment en kiesstelsel.
- Soft Secrets (2026). Ruime meerderheid Tweede Kamer steunt voortzetting wietexperiment.
- Cronos Group (2025). Cronos to enter the Netherlands with acquisition of Europe’s largest adult-use cannabis company.
- The Marijuana Herald (2026). Report: Netherlands regulated marijuana experiment brings lower prices and more product variety without increasing use.
