The Netherlands are locking down for cannabis

The Dutch government said outside parliament on Monday that it could sit back and relax as there were no additional rules to prevent people from consuming or smoking cannabis in public places during the coronavirus pandemic. The government ordered a partial shutdown on October 13, with restaurants closed except for takeaway offers and the sale of alcohol and marijuana banned after 8 p.m.

However, in light of the prospect, Parliament stressed that rules for weed smokers could still be looser than those for alcohol drinkers, and passed a motion instructing the government to ensure that marijuana and hashish smoking in public was between 8 p.m. and 7 a.m. will not be tolerated in public places. Justice Minister Ferd Grapperhaus told lawmakers in a letter that they could easily be confused by the complexity of the country's existing laws and practices. According to Dutch law, marijuana possession remains technically illegal, Grapperhaus explained in a letter to parliament.

While the police generally don't enforce the law against people who have less than five grams of marijuana, they always have the power to do so. As part of the country's tolerance policy, the drug is sold openly in cafes, so-called "coffee shops". But the October 13 lockdown rules had already stipulated that cafes and restaurants, with the exception of takeaways, were closed and that the sale of alcohol, marijuana and hashish was prohibited after 8 p.m. In addition, according to Grapperhaus, gatherings with more than four people are temporarily prohibited.

This ensures that the police can break up an unrestrained marijuana smoking mob - if one should ever form during the pandemic. "The requirements of this application can therefore be met using the existing powers," said the minister.