Like two old friends, Minister Kuipers and Mayor Depla visited coffee shop Het Paradijs in Breda on Tuesday. At a table they came to the same conclusion, namely that the coffee shop is ready for the cannabis test. That starts in a month. The trial in Tilburg and Breda is important, says the minister, because there are still many questions about the completely legal route of cannabis. “We still know little about the consequences for safety, crime and health. That is why this experiment is necessary.”
In the middle of the weed smell: it is not the first place where you expect to see politicians. Coffee shop owner Ed Pattche tells them everything they want to know.
The much-discussed cannabis experiment will really start on December 15 after years of preparation. In the trial, legal growers will supply cannabis to various coffee shops in Breda and Tilburg.
There was already a legal supplier from Waalwijk. On Tuesday it was announced that the second supplier is from Hellevoetsluis. The third probably from Almere. The different suppliers are important because it gives users a choice. “And that prevents illegal street trading,” says Mayor Depla.
Depla has been advocating for legal cannabis cultivation for years. Coffee shops are now allowed to sell weed, but not to purchase it. “An absurd policy,” the mayor of Breda has been saying for years. “In this way, the trade at the ‘back door’ is dominated by criminals.”
“The test will really happen.”
The trial has been postponed numerous times. The suppliers may only supply legal weed to the coffee shops. But as an exception, coffee shops may also sell their tolerated products from old suppliers in the start-up phase.
“Customers are sometimes still a bit hesitant. It remains state-owned weed,” Pattche tells Omroep Brabant. ‘I’m sure they will soon be convinced of the quality. I can’t wait to get started.”
The timing of the visit, so close to the elections, is somewhat striking. Kuipers and Depla also visited the same coffee shop in April last year. Kuipers concluded the visit with satisfaction: “The test will really happen, for sure.”
Waiting for privacy settings…