Since 1976 the Narcotics Act has distinguished between drugs that pose unacceptable risks to public health (hard drugs such as heroin, cocaine, XTC and amphetamines) and hemp products (soft drugs: hashish and marijuana). Possession, dealing, sales, production and so forth have been made punishable for all drugs, with the exception of medical, veterinary, instructional and scientific purposes, for which permission must be obtained. Offences against the Narcotics Act are punished severely, but the penalties for soft drug offences are less severe than those for hard drug offences. Top priority is given to investigating imports and exports of hard drugs, and the heaviest penalties apply to these offences.
As far as its national legislation is concerned, the Netherlands is not only bound by UN treaties, but also by agreements made among the European states with a view to combating the narcotics trade.

The coffee shops are required to comply with a set of conditions known as the 'AHOJ-G criteria': no advertising (A), no sales of hard drugs (H), no nuisance (O), no admission to coffee shops for minors (under 18) (J), and no sales of large quantities (more than 5 grams) per transaction (G). The maximum trading stock is 500 grams, but municipalities can set a lower maximum if they wish. Depending on the specific problem, some municipalities have added a number of extra conditions to the AHOJ-G criteria in the form of a covenant ('no parking outside coffee shops', 'coffee shops must close at 10.30 p.m.', etc.). Local policy with regard to coffee shops is left up to the local authorities, and is discussed between the police, the public prosecutor and the mayor (tripartite consultations). In 1996 the Public Prosecutions Department issued a new set of guidelines that now serve as the basis for these tripartite consultations. Greater attention is paid to compliance with the AHOJ-G criteria under the new guidelines. It was also agreed in 1996 that sales of alcohol should not be associated with sales of soft drugs. Since the start of 1997, the police, municipalities, the public prosecutor and other interested organizations have been able to address any questions or requests for information about local drug policy in general and coffee shop policy in particular to the Support and Information Centre for Drugs and Safety (SIDV).

The active ingredient in cannabis is THC. Netherweed has been tested regularly in the past three years to measure its THC content. Dutch marijuana keeps getting stronger and stronger.

• The average strength in 2000 was 8.6%.
• The average strength in 2001 was 11.3%.
• The average strength in 2002 was 15.2%.

Another problem is that the amount of THC sharply fluctuates. In 95% of the samples tested in 2002, THC levels varied between 9.8% and 20.6%, averaging 15.2%. In other words, if you take Netherweed, you never know how strong it is going to be. It might be 10%, or up to 20% or more. If you are trying marijuana for the first time or don't have much experience, you need to be extra careful. It's hard to estimate how much you can handle. You should take one puff first, then wait a few minutes before taking the next puff. If you don't do it that way, then you might consume too much and get sick. Also be careful with spacecake. Source: THC concentraties in wiet, nederwiet en hasj in Nederlandse Coffeeshops (2001/2002)

Quite a few people get so ill from their first few experiences with marijuana that they phone the emergency number 112 and summon an ambulance. They get scared and sick to their stomach, and they think they will never get better. If that happens to you, you should find a quiet place and eat something sweet. Usually the worst is over within an hour. In 2001, ambulances were called 243 times for people who had taken too much hash or grass, including 130 tourists; 46 people, including 35 tourists, had eaten spacecake. One Amsterdam hospital kept a six-month record of how many people visited the casualty department after smoking cannabis or eating spacecake. There were 117 patients for hash or grass and 25 for spacecake.

They also kept track of the symptoms. Most patients were suffering from serious physical distress, and many experienced nausea, heart palpitations or psychosis. Nineteen people had suffered falls after taking hash or grass. Such falls occur because your blood pressure can drop if you suddenly stand up after using cannabis. That interferes with your coordination and motor functions.

The assumption that cannabis users are more likely to start using hard drugs, particularly heroin, is known as the stepping-stone hypothesis. Opinions about the accuracy of this hypothesis vary. It is clear that the switch from cannabis to hard drugs cannot be explained by the pharmacological characteristics of cannabis. No physical tendency to switch from lighter to heavier drugs has been found. However, social factors do appear to play a role: the risk of hard drug use increases as an individual becomes increasingly integrated into an environment (subculture) in which hard drugs are available as well as cannabis. It is therefore important to separate the drug markets, and this forms the basis of the Netherlands' current cannabis policy.

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