Visitor guide
Reviewed April 1, 2026 · GlobalDispensaries Editorial
Tolerated in licensed coffee shops
Adult use
Tolerated (coffee shops)
Medical
By prescription
Minimum age
18
Purchase limit
5g per visit
The Netherlands does not technically legalize cannabis — it tolerates it under the long-standing gedoogbeleid (tolerance policy). Licensed coffee shops may sell small amounts to adults without prosecution, a framework that has operated in Amsterdam and other Dutch cities since the 1970s.
A coffee shop may sell up to 5 grams per person per visit and hold limited stock on the premises. Shops are licensed at the municipal level, so rules on location, opening hours, and outdoor consumption vary city to city — Amsterdam, for example, now restricts street smoking in the Red Light District.
Cultivation and wholesale supply remain in a legal grey area (the so-called 'back-door problem'), which the government has been piloting reforms to address. Medicinal cannabis is separately available by prescription through pharmacies.
Bring your passport or an EU ID card. Coffee shops are legally required to check age (18+) and many refuse photocopies or phone photos.
Most coffee shops take cash and Dutch PIN cards. Foreign credit cards are frequently declined — carry euros.
Smoking is permitted inside licensed coffee shops. Amsterdam bans smoking cannabis on the street in the Red Light District, and tobacco-mix joints fall under indoor smoking rules, so shops often have separate areas.
Buying from a street dealer. Purchases outside a licensed coffee shop are illegal and unregulated — the tolerance policy covers licensed shops only.
The historic canal district. Highest density of coffee shops in the city, walkable from Centraal Station.
Bohemian neighborhood south of the canals. Local favorites with a calmer atmosphere.
Upscale residential area with curated coffee shops known for quality over quantity.
Every listing shows the date we last checked it against the licence registry — and where a licence has lapsed, we say so.
See the listingsThis guide is informational and is not legal advice. Cannabis law changes — check the date above and confirm current rules before travelling. GlobalDispensaries does not sell cannabis.