Wietexperiment
Live Tracker
The "Closed Coffeeshop Chain Experiment" is the biggest policy shift in Dutch history. Track exactly which municipalities are selling 100% regulated, lab-tested cannabis.
Experimenteerfase Timeline
Tracking the 4-year primary experimental phase.
47
%
Complete
Aanloopfase (Dec 2023)
Current: Year 2 of 4
Afbouwfase (~2029)
Participating Municipalities
Currently 70 coffeeshops across 10 municipalities are actively participating.
Municipality
Shops
Status
Regulated %
Maastricht
13
/
13
Active
100%
Arnhem
11
/
11
Active
100%
Tilburg
11
/
11
Active
100%
Nijmegen
9
/
9
Active
100%
Breda
8
/
8
Active
100%
Groningen
8
/
8
Active
100%
Almere
3
/
3
Active
100%
Zaanstad
3
/
3
Active
100%
Heerlen
2
/
2
Active
100%
Voorne aan Zee
2
/
2
Active
100%
Amsterdam
0 / ~166
Excluded
0%
Latest Developments
Apr 2026
Grower Capacity Expands
Hollandse Hoogtes expands capacity by 50% due to surging demand.
Apr 2026
1-Year Anniversary
First parliamentary debate held on the official Experimenteerfase results.
Mar 2026
Policy Debate
Parliament holds first major drug policy debate in two years regarding expansion.
Jan 2026
Coalition Agreement
New right-wing coalition agreement confirms continuation of the experiment despite Christian party pushback.
Sep 2025
Hash Supply Resolved
Major enforcement milestone reached as regulated hash production finally catches up to flower.
What Is the Wietexperiment?
For decades, the Netherlands has operated under the famous "Gedoogbeleid" (tolerance policy). Coffeeshops were allowed to sell cannabis out the front door, but growing and supplying it remained strictly illegal. This created the infamous "backdoor problem" where owners were forced to deal with criminal syndicates to stock their shelves.
The
Gesloten Coffeeshopketen
(Closed Coffeeshop Chain Experiment) was launched to test a solution. In 10 participating municipalities, 70 coffeeshops are now legally supplied by 10 state-licensed, heavily regulated growers.
The Quality Guarantee
Weed purchased in the 10 experimental cities is the only legal, lab-tested cannabis in Europe. Every batch is rigorously tested for heavy metals, pesticides, and exact THC/CBD percentages. It's packaged in child-proof containers with track-and-trace QR codes.
Why Isn't Amsterdam Participating?
A major shock to tourists:
Amsterdam is entirely excluded from the experiment.
When Parliament drafted the law, they feared Amsterdam's massive tourist-driven demand would overwhelm the licensed growers and skew the data.
Tourist Reality Check (2026)
Every coffeeshop you visit in Amsterdam still operates under the old tolerance policy. The weed is unregulated, untested, and supplied by the grey market. If you want guaranteed pesticide-free, lab-tested weed, you must take a train to participating cities like Tilburg, Breda, or Maastricht.
The Licensed Growers
Of the 10 selected growers, most remain anonymous for security reasons. The most prominent public face is
Hollandse Hoogtes
, based in Lingewaard. Having won "Grower of the Year" at the 2025 Cannabis Industrie Awards, they produce over 200kg per week of strains like
Crumbled Lime
and
Rainbow Zizi
, and recently expanded capacity by 50% in April 2026 to meet surging demand.
What Comes Next?
The current "Experimenteerfase" runs until roughly 2029. In early 2026, the right-wing coalition agreement confirmed the continuation of the experiment despite heavy pushback from conservative Christian parties.
Researchers from the WODC and Trimbos Institute are actively monitoring crime rates, public health, and consumer satisfaction in the 10 cities. Around 2029, parliament will use their data to make a historic decision: revert to the old grey market, or permanently legalize and expand the closed chain nationwide—finally solving Amsterdam's backdoor problem once and for all.