June 17 start of closed coffeeshop chain experiment in Heerlen

Monday, June 17, the Experiment closed coffeeshop chains will definitively start in Heerlen. Breda and Tilburg were already allowed to partially start in December 2023, the remaining eight Dutch municipalities are now following suit. In the Experiment closed coffeeshop chain, the government is going to regulate the illegal backdoor of the (approximately 80) participating coffeeshops. Starting June 17, they will do so at commercial growers licensed by the minister. 

Heerlen is one of ten municipalities participating in the Experiment. In Limburg, Maastricht is also participating. Because not all growers are ready yet, the quantity, quality and diversity is not yet sufficient to fully and properly supply all participating coffee shops now. Therefore, June 17 starts the so-called transition phase of the experiment, which provisionally lasts until Sept. 16, 2024. During this transition phase, the coffee shops are in fact allowed to sell unregulated (illegal) hemp/hashish in addition to regulated hemp/hashish.

Border community

During the Experiment, experiences with the regulated production, distribution and sale of hemp will be gained over the next four years. The aim is to see what the effects are on public health, prevention, crime, public order and safety. The entire chain from the production of hemp to its sale to the user will be regulated and closely monitored. Hence, it is also referred to as the "closed chain. If successful, the government may decide to make it national legislation for all coffeeshops in the Netherlands.

In addition to Breda and Maastricht, Heerlen has also been designated as a border municipality within the experiment. As a result, the I(resident) criterion must be actively enforced. Concretely, this means that as of June 17, only people who demonstrably live in the Netherlands have access to the coffee shop and are allowed to buy soft drugs there. The coffee shops will strictly enforce this. The data of the visitors will not be registered at the access control, residents can as always visit the coffee shop without registration. Municipal supervisors will monitor compliance.

Foreign visitors

In view of experiences in other municipalities that have maintained the Resident Criterion for some time, the municipality does not expect any negative consequences in the immediate vicinity of the two Heerlen coffee shops. For foreign visitors there are sufficient coffee shops in Limburg where access is still possible. In the unlikely event of an upsurge in illegal street trading, action will be taken immediately. In addition to criminal prosecution, these dealers and their customers can be fined high penalties under the APV.