In the Netherlands, it is against the law to possess, sell or produce drugs, including hard drugs like cocaine, heroin, and ecstasy. However, the Netherlands has a policy of toleration regarding soft drugs, such as cannabis, which are less damaging to health than hard drugs. This means that the sale of small quantities of soft drugs in coffee shops is a criminal offense, but the Public Prosecution Service does not prosecute coffee shops for this offense. Neither does the Public Prosecution Service prosecute members of the public for possession of small quantities of soft drugs. These quantities are defined as follows:

• 5 grams maximum on person
• Sale only to adults
• No minors on the premises
• No advertisement of drugs

In Amsterdam, cannabis in all its forms is allowed, including weed, hash, and different types of cannabis oils. Possession of hard drugs is illegal in the Netherlands, but the drug laws allow for the possession of small amounts without legal consequences. For hard drugs, the maximum amounts are:

• Half a gram of cocaine, speed/amphetamine, MDMA, methamphetamine
• 1 XTC pill
• Less than 5 ml of GHB

When caught with these amounts, the police can confiscate them, but you won’t get a fine. If you possess more, you’ll get a fine, and depending on the amounts you carry, you can even get a prison sentence. Hard drugs are illegal, but the Dutch government believes in the so-called “harm reduction model”. People will use drugs anyway, so it’s best to provide proper information and testing to reduce the potential amount of harm to society as much as possible. Drug users can visit an Amsterdam drug test lab and get their illegal drugs tested legally.