Is Weed Legal in Amsterdam?
Cannabis is technically illegal in the Netherlands but tolerated under the gedoogbeleid (tolerance policy). Coffeeshops in Amsterdam can sell up to 5 grams per person per transaction to adults 18+.
Detailed Answer
The Netherlands has one of the world's most famous cannabis tolerance policies, known as gedoogbeleid. Under this system, cannabis remains illegal under Dutch law, but the sale of small amounts through licensed coffeeshops is tolerated and not prosecuted. Amsterdam has roughly 160 coffeeshops where adults aged 18 and over can purchase up to 5 grams of cannabis per visit.
Coffeeshops must follow strict rules: no advertising, no hard drugs, no selling to minors, no causing nuisance, and no holding more than 500 grams of stock. The "back door problem" — the fact that supply to coffeeshops is technically illegal while front-door sales are tolerated — has been a long-standing policy contradiction that the Dutch government has attempted to address through a regulated supply chain experiment.
The Wietproefexperiment (Closed Coffeeshop Chain Experiment) began in 2023 and expanded in 2024, allowing select municipalities to test a fully legal supply chain from licensed growers to coffeeshops. Amsterdam is not part of this initial pilot but may join in later phases. If successful, the experiment could lead to full legalization of both production and sales.
Tourists can freely visit coffeeshops in Amsterdam. Unlike some southern Dutch cities that attempted to restrict access to residents only (the wietpas system), Amsterdam never implemented such restrictions. The city remains Europe's most popular cannabis tourism destination.