In the Netherlands, sales and cultivation of cannabis among adults, still technically illegal, is accepted as an ordinary part of life and regulated accordingly. Peter Cohen of the Dutch Centre for Drug Research reports that there are about 750 cannabis coffeeshops in the Netherlands, of which fully a third are in Amsterdam. That is in addition to every dispensary in the country, which can provide medical cannabis on request.
The Ministry of Health publishes data on the number of coffeeshops based on a count done each year by Bert Bieleman in Groningen. His reports, called The National Drugs Monitor (2002), is available in English on the website of Trimbos-Instituut, but not the latest one, covering 2004.
Rotterdam has about 600,000 inhabitants and about 70 cannabis shops, one per 8500 residents. Amsterdam has a population of 700,000 and 250 coffeeshops, more than one per 3000 residents - although the city also hosts a busy tourist industry. Some of the more rural Dutch minicipalities apply a rule of one cannabis shop for every 20,000 inhabitants.
Oakland, with a population of 399,484, could easily support 20 such coffeeshops, and possibly more. The city has 802 businesses licensed to serve alcohol, so at a ratio of only one coffeeshop per 10 alcohol licenses, the City could accomodate 80 cannabis outlets.
What has been the result of these 40 years of tolerance? *The Dutch use cannabis at less than half the U.S. rate.
*The age of first use of cannabis in the Netherlands is 20. In the U.S., it's age 16.
*The rate of heroin addiction in the Netherlands is less than one-third the U.S. rate.
*Since the 1970's, the average age of a heroin user in the U.S. has dropped from 26 to 19, while in the Netherlands, it has risen from age 26 to over 40.
by Chris Conrad, 2005
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