The Netherlands’ experiment with a regulated marijuana supply chain has resulted in lower marijuana prices, substantially greater product variety and no significant increase in cannabis use, according to the first major follow-up report examining the program.
The report, published September 9 by the Trimbos Institute, RAND Europe and Breuer&Intraval, compared 10 municipalities participating in the country’s regulated cannabis experiment with 10 municipalities operating under the Netherlands’ traditional cannabis policy. The experimental phase began April 7, 2025.
Under the experiment, coffeeshops in participating municipalities sell marijuana supplied by licensed growers. Although the Netherlands has long tolerated retail cannabis sales through coffeeshops, production and wholesale distribution have generally remained illegal. The experiment is designed to determine the effects of bringing production, distribution and retail sales into a regulated system.
Researchers found a particularly large change in marijuana selection. Participating coffeeshops carried an average of 34.2 unique marijuana product names during the follow-up period, up from 10.8 at baseline. Shops in comparison municipalities increased from an average of 12.6 to 16.2. Researchers calculated that product variety increased by nearly 20 additional marijuana products per shop in participating municipalities relative to the comparison group.
The average menu price of marijuana in participating municipalities also dropped from €12.06 per gram at baseline to €10.08. In comparison municipalities, the average increased from €11.10 to €12.47, although researchers said that increase was influenced by a rise in unusually expensive products. Their statistical analysis found marijuana prices declined by €3.35 more in participating municipalities than in the comparison group.
The trend was different for hashish, with average prices increasing more sharply in participating municipalities. Prices for pre-rolled joints also increased slightly in both groups.
Product formats expanded considerably as well. At follow-up, 94% of participating coffeeshops carried edibles, 67% carried vape products and 70% carried concentrates. At baseline, the corresponding figures were 34%, 0% and 17%.
Despite the larger selection and lower marijuana prices, researchers found no significant difference between participating and comparison municipalities in changes to cannabis-use frequency, the number of days participants used cannabis per month or the number of joints consumed on a typical use day. There were also no significant changes in self-reported health or the percentage of consumers identified as having an elevated risk of problematic cannabis use.
Consumers in participating municipalities did purchase more marijuana per transaction. The most common amount purchased shifted from 1 gram at baseline to 5 grams at follow-up, while 1 gram remained the most common purchase in comparison municipalities. Researchers emphasized that the larger purchases were not accompanied by an increase in consumption frequency.
The study included interviews with 85 stakeholders, surveys of 865 coffeeshop customers and 441 people who lived or worked near coffeeshops, visitor counts at 143 shops and an analysis of menus from 134 coffeeshops. Researchers also examined illegal-market surveys and police data.
The illegal market continues to operate alongside the regulated system, with consumers citing lower prices, favorable price-to-quality ratios and the ability to purchase larger quantities as reasons for buying outside coffeeshops. Researchers said it remains too early to determine the experiment’s long-term effects, with additional annual follow-up measurements planned.
