The experiment with the legal sale of cannabis can start even if not all selected growers can supply enough. That said Minister Kuipers of Health in the House of Representatives. “If there is enough capacity, but not yet from all growers, we think we can start.”
There are many questions in the House about the slow way in which the experiment with the legal supply and purchase and sale of weed is getting underway: there are many delays and each time steps seem to take longer than planned. Kuipers said that the cabinet really wants to ensure that it is a success. “We find it extremely annoying that this experiment has already had such a long run.”
Second quarter 2023
The cabinet now assumes that the actual trial in the second quarter of next year starts. From then on, coffee shops in a limited number of municipalities will be allowed to legally sell cannabis. The experiment should clarify the effect of legal marijuana on crime, safety and public health.
One of the problems that growers encounter is that banks sometimes do not want to give them an account. Minister Yesilgöz of Justice called it important that banks test companies to prevent fraud and money laundering. “But if a grower is only refused because he participates in the weed experiment, that is not possible.”
Ten growers are taking part in the trial and, according to Kuipers, all ten have now passed the ‘Bibob procedure’, the test used to examine the integrity of companies. The participation of nine growers is certain, a tenth is still talking to a municipality. Growers are not compensated for the delay.
No distinction in motives
Yesterday the NOS reported that investors invest a lot of money in the selected companies, hoping to gain a foothold in Europe’s first recreational cannabis market. Chairman Knottnerus of the committee that issued advice on the design of the cannabis experiment emphasized that the focus of the trial should be on the effects on public health and not on making as much money as possible.
Kuipers said today that the growers have to meet all kinds of substantive criteria, but that the government cannot distinguish between people who are mainly idealistic and people who mainly have a financial motive.
The intention is to add an eleventh participating municipality, preferably a large city. The plan is that all municipalities must start at the same time. That will remain the case for the time being, but Kuipers said that the cabinet is open to discussing this.
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