Preparation for the closed coffee shop chain in the Netherlands is progressing, yet rather slowly. Yesterday, the Ministry of Health and Sports has shared that the seventh grower has been appointed.
After the growers were selected, the government proceeded to carry out a Bibob investigation, which could roughly be translated into ‘integrity check’: basically, applicants are thoroughly checked so that no criminal affiliation and records.
The mayors of the chosen municipalities have been informed of the appointment of the grower. The designated applicants have now started preparation for setting up their cultivations. The Ministry said that they hope the transition phase to start in the second half of 2022, but they will continue to monitor this to determine if such a plan will be realistic and if there are ways to accelerate it.
The transition phase represents the starting date of the sale of the cannabis grown under the experiment.
Additionally, the Ministry has said that a track and trace system to check on the experiment has been set up. “Cannabis products are tracked and registered, from seed to sale,” the press release reads. “The use of the track and trace is mandatory for all growers and coffee shop owners who participate in the experiment. The development of various apps for growers, supervisors, and coffee shops is still ongoing. The designated growers and inspectorates are now involved in user tests. Later this year, participating coffee shops will also be invited for a user test.”
Source: rijksoverheid.nl