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[Press Release] High-potency cannabis reclassified as hard drug
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[Press Release] High-potency cannabis reclassified as hard drug

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© 2025 IamExpat Media B.V.
© 2025 IamExpat Media B.V.
Oct 17, 2011

Official press release
The government plans to place cannabis with a THC concentration of 15% or higher on the Opium Act's Schedule I, making high-potency cannabis a hard drug.

The government made the announcement in its response to a new report on drug classification by the Garretsen Committee. The system of two classification Schedules under the Opium Act (I for hard drugs and II for soft drugs) will remain in place.

The government sees high-potency cannabis as carrying an unacceptably high risk. It is a contributory factor in increasing damage to health, especially when used at a young age. That is why the consumption and production of this type of cannabis needs to be discouraged.

Higher penalties
Coffee shops will soon no longer be allowed to offer cannabis with a THC level above 15%. Higher penalties will be imposed for trafficking, importing and exporting high-potency cannabis.

Source: Government of the Netherlands