Cannabis Coffee Shop - Coffeeshop Law

Coffeeshop Law

In the Netherlands, the selling of cannabis is "illegal, but not punishable", so the law is not enforced in establishments following these nationwide rules:

• No advertising
• No hard drug sales on the premises
• No sales to anyone under the age of 18
• No sale of quantities greater than five grams
• No public disturbances

For some offences, a business may be forced to close for three to six months; for others, the business may be closed permanently. All these rules are detailed in official policies.

Coffeeshops are no longer allowed to sell alcohol. Most coffee shops advertise, and the constraint is more moderating than outright prohibitive. In a gesture of discretion still technically required, many coffee shops keep the cannabis menu below the counter, even when the cannabis itself is in more-or-less plain view. Dutch coffee shops often fly red-yellow-green Ethiopian flags, other symbols of the Rastafari movement, or depiction of palm leaves to indicate that they sell cannabis, as a consequence of the official ban on direct advertising. This aesthetic attracts many public artists who may be paid to create murals in the coffee shops and use the Rastafari and reggae related imagery.

Coffeeshops provide non-contaminated cannabis products (and hence have no unexpected chemicals). Cannabis and any food products containing cannabis are generally clearly identified to prevent accidental consumption.