Bremmel, Netherlands

 

December 14, 2023: 

Cultivation manager Jasper, 27, tends to cannabis plants in a Hollandse Hoogtes production facility, one of 10 licensed growers, as part of a Dutch government trial to legalize cannabis production for registered producers, in Bremmel, the Netherlands.

It is a common misconception that cannabis is legal in the Netherlands, world-famous for its "coffee shops" that in fact, sell pot, not coffee. Consumption is illegal but "tolerated" under a policy dating back nearly five decades. However, the production and supply of cannabis are neither legal nor tolerated, forcing growers to operate in the shadows.

From Dec. 15, 2023, coffee shops in Breda and Tilburg, two cities in the southern part of the country, will legally be allowed to sell pot from registered suppliers.

NICK GAMMON, AFP Via Getty Images