In the mid-1970s, the Dutch government initiated a permissive policy toward
cannabis coffeeshops in Amsterdam and other cities, where locals and foreigners could purchase hash, weed, and “space cakes” (THC-rich edibles) for onsite consumption in a relaxed setting without fear of arrest. Even though recreational
cannabis was – and still is – technically illegal in the Netherlands, the authorities tolerated the proliferation of
cannabis coffeeshops as an effective harm reduction strategy (better cannabis than injecting hard drugs).
