Why is Cannabis Legal in the Netherlands?

This ruling came into effect in 1976 and meant that the police could focus on targeting more dangerous drugs instead of struggling to enforce the laws related to cannabis. It is also worth mentioning that cannabis was becoming more and more normalised in the Netherlands, especially in Amsterdam and other larger cities where the hippy movement had taken root. In fact, the first cannabis coffee shops in Amsterdam were established (albeit illegally) a few years before this date and became semi-legitimate businesses after 1976.
Although the regulations concerning cannabis have changed over the years, the Dutch government has continued to implement drug policies that primarily aim to reduce harm and maintain the peace rather than punish users. Nonetheless, certified cannabis suppliers (coffee shops) must abide by certain codes in order to avoid sanctions and have to operate under strangely contradictory regulations. For example, it is still illegal to produce, sell or buy large quantities of cannabis, which means that coffee shops have to purchase their stock from illicit sources, but then are allowed to sell the drug to clients in smaller batches.