The Netherlands have decided to undergo a trial period regarding cannabis legalization in two Dutch cities (1). If the trial goes well, cannabis legalization may become fully enacted throughout the entire country. Although a popular area for cannabis consumers to mingle, cannabis is currently not legalized fully in the country. One of the aspirations from this trial period in Breda and Tilburg is to see a decrease or end to petty crime and gang activity (1). “Criminal organizations took over that criminal market and therefore coffee shop owners were depending on the criminal market and that had to stop,” Paul Depla, mayor of Breda, discussed with Agence France-Presse (1).

Source: The Guardian December 18, 2023 23:25 UTC