What can we learn from the Dutch cannabis coffeeshop system?

ABSTRACT Aims  To examine the empirical consequences of officially tolerated retail sales of cannabis in the Netherlands, and possible implications for the legalization debate. Methods  Available Dutch data on the prevalence and patterns of use, treatment, sanctioning, prices and purity for cannabis...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Addiction (Abingdon, England) England), 2011-11, Vol.106 (11), p.1899-1910
Main Author: MacCoun, Robert J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Addictive behaviors
Adolescent
Adult
Adult and adolescent clinical studies
Amphetamines
Biological and medical sciences
Cannabis
Careers
Citizens
Cocaine
Commerce - legislation & jurisprudence
Commerce - statistics & numerical data
Comparative analysis
Consumption
Decriminalization
Drug abuse
Drug addiction
Drug policy
Drug use
Empirical research
Europe
Humans
legalization
Legislation, Drug
Legitimacy
Marijuana
Marijuana Smoking - epidemiology
Marijuana Smoking - legislation & jurisprudence
Marijuana Smoking - trends
Markets
Medical sciences
Miscellaneous
Netherlands
Netherlands - epidemiology
Prevalence
Prices
Prohibition
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychopathology. Psychiatry
Public health. Hygiene
Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine
Public Policy
Restaurants - legislation & jurisprudence
Sales
treatment
U.S.A
United States
United States of America
Young Adult
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Summary:ABSTRACT Aims  To examine the empirical consequences of officially tolerated retail sales of cannabis in the Netherlands, and possible implications for the legalization debate. Methods  Available Dutch data on the prevalence and patterns of use, treatment, sanctioning, prices and purity for cannabis dating back to the 1970s are compared to similar indicators in Europe and the United States. Results  The available evidence suggests that the prevalence of cannabis use among Dutch citizens rose and fell as the number of coffeeshops increased and later declined, but only modestly. The coffeeshops do not appear to encourage escalation into heavier use or lengthier using careers, although treatment rates for cannabis are higher than elsewhere in Europe. Scatterplot analyses suggest that Dutch patterns of use are very typical for Europe, and that the ‘separation of markets’ may indeed have somewhat weakened the link between cannabis use and the use of cocaine or amphetamines. Conclusions  Cannabis consumption in the Netherlands is lower than would be expected in an unrestricted market, perhaps because cannabis prices have remained high due to production‐level prohibitions. The Dutch system serves as a nuanced alternative to both full prohibition and full legalization.
ISSN:0965-2140
1360-0443
DOI:10.1111/j.1360-0443.2011.03572.x