Ten municipalities have been selected to participate in the cannabis experiment. All coffee shops in the participating municipalities must participate in the experiment.
10 participating municipalities.


Municipalities in the Netherlands could register to participate prior to the experiment. The rules and conditions they must meet are set out in the Closed Coffee Shop Chain Experiment Decree.

In August 2019, the Knottnerus Advisory Committee advised the Minister for Medical Care and the Minister for Justice and Security on which interested municipalities should participate in the experiment. The participating municipalities are:

    Arnhem
    Almere
    Breda
    Groningen
    Heerlen
    Hellevoetsluis
    Maastricht
    Nijmegen
    Tilburg
    Zaanstad

All recommendations of the committee are contained in the report Nomination of municipalities for participation in the experiment with a closed cannabis chain. The government has adopted most of the recommendations from the report. In the Cabinet's response to the advice, the government explains why it does or does not adopt the advice.
Existing and new rules during experiment

During the experiment, the mayor determines whether and which coffee shops are allowed in the municipality. It also remains possible for mayors to determine which municipal rules coffee shops must comply with. These are, for example, rules about the opening hours and locations of coffee shops.
Adhering to the rules of the experiment

The mayor may take measures if a participating coffee shop does not comply with the rules of the experiment. This can lead to the closure of the coffee shop.
Apply resident criterion

In participating municipalities on the border with Germany or Belgium, coffee shop owners are only allowed to admit people who live in the Netherlands. The coffee shop owner may only sell hemp to these persons. This is the resident criterion.
Mandatory participation in coffee shops

All coffee shops in the participating municipality must participate in the experiment. The same rules apply to all coffee shops. This also makes it clear to customers that they are purchasing quality-controlled products.