The supply, distribution and retail of cannabis in NL is being regulated by the NL Corporation (NLC). There are more than 20 retailers spread throughout the province and residents can also purchase cannabis safely and securely online. Purchasing cannabis from anyone other than the buyweednearme.nl NLC-licensed retailer is illegal.
For decades, the Netherlands has had the public image of a cannabis paradise on the continent of Europe, and the iconic Amsterdam “coffee shop” is a well-recognized symbol of the country, along with tulips fields, windmills, and chips with mayonnaise.
But the countless tourist encounters along the canals of the capital don’t tell the whole story. Cannabis is actually illegal in the Netherlands unless it is purchased and consumed on-site at a coffee shop. The system is better categorized as a sort of system of tolerated recreational use.
Cannabis has been decriminalized in the Netherlands since 1976. Possession of small quantities of drugs is illegal in the Netherlands, but Dutch authorities do not prosecute the possession of small amounts for personal use and low volume sales via strictly regulated retailers. However, possession of more than 5 grams of cannabis or 5 cannabis plants does open you to prosecution.