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Holland Is Looking For Talented Weed Growers

The Dutch government is looking for growers to participate in a nationwide weed experiment. Farmers who want to take part in this national cannabis experiment can register from July 1st.

Despite popular belief, cannabis is not legal in the Netherlands – it is decriminalized for personal use and its sale by specialized coffeeshops is formally “tolerated” by the Dutch authorities. Although producing and trading cannabis remains illegal in the Netherlands, the sale of weed to the public by these coffeeshops is “illegal, but not punishable”. This pragmatic approach is subject to debate.

Currently, the sale of weed is permitted by coffeeshops, but the purchase and production are not allowed. Regulating the supply of weed to the coffeeshops would end an ongoing contradiction, as a coffeeshop is allowed to sell marijuana and hash within the formally tolerated limits, but its suppliers are not allowed to grow, import, or sell cannabis products to the coffeeshop. As one coffeeshop owner commented: “The front door is open, but the backdoor is illegal.” For more than 40 years, suppliers of coffeeshops and the coffeeshop owners have risked prosecution due to this deadlock. The closed coffeeshop chain experiment should clarify whether legal supply, purchase, and sale of cannabis are possible.

To qualify, growers must comply with the general conditions set by the national government. Among other things, they must submit a business plan and be able to submit a Certificate of Good Conduct (VOG). A maximum of ten cannabis growers is selected. The quality of cannabis will be monitored. The diversity of the supply will also be checked to make sure that there will be a sufficiënt choice for the end-consumer. Potential pot growers have to be able to produce at least ten different varieties of weed and/or hash to qualify.

With this trial, the government says it wants to solve the problem that coffeeshops may sell soft drugs, but cannot legally obtain their store stock. Last year it was decided that there will be a trial with ‘legal’ cannabis cultivation in these ten municipalities: Almere, Arnhem, Breda, Groningen, Heerlen, Hellevoetsluis, Maastricht, Nijmegen, Tilburg, and Zaanstad.

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Parliamentary Vote On Regulation Supply Chain

Four decades after the decriminalization of marijuana in the Netherlands, the Dutch parliament today finally voted on policy to regulate the weed supply chain.

The back door supply chain has been a point of debate between coffeeshops and the government for 40 years. Although coffeeshops are licensed to sell small amounts of cannabis under strict guidelines, the manufacture and delivery of the product is strictly illegal, with risk of punishment.

Under new back-door regulation policies, the coffeeshops can operate without such fear of prosecution. .also. quality control ..

It all sounds like good news but we can question the value of this vote as two weeks from now the Dutch national elections will take place and major power shifts are on Holland’s political horizon. Looking at the polls, a reshuffled parliament (and the following government) may not be able to reach the same majority needed to accualy change policy in the following term.

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Cannabis Use In The Netherlands Goes Back Thousands Of Years

In a recently unearthed 4200 year old grave in the East of Holland, archaeologists say they discovered traces of cannabis.

Near the town Hattermerbroek, the Dutch archaeologists found a pre-historic grave, dating back to around 2200 BCE. Spread over the bottom of the grave, they discovered the rests of an abundance of flowers. They now conclude that the pollen found in the rests came most likely from cannabis plants.

Speculations are made about the ancient tribe that left the grave and the uses that these people might have found for the cannabis plant, more than 4000 years ago. Some researchers say it may have been as a pain killer, much like modern-day medicinal marijuana others say it could have been used for its fiber.

The grave was discovered five years ago and has since been under close scrutiny of scientists. They were surprised by their discovery because historians assumed that cannabis was not in yet in use in this part of Europe in the third millennium BCE.

The researchers told the press they are preparing a 650 page book about these, and the other discoveries made in this part of Holland.

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