A widespread misconception abroad is that cannabis is already legal in the Netherlands - home to the world-famous coffee shops and seen as a huge draw for cannabis smokers.
The consumption of small quantities of cannabis is technically illegal but police choose not to enforce the law as part of a so-called"tolerance" policy in place since the 1970s. This has led to gangs getting involved, with a related rise in petty crime and anti-social behaviour that local officials hope to stop with the legal cannabis experiment.
Smokers are guaranteed a high-quality product, whereas before it was impossible to know where the cannabis came from - or whether it had been altered.
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