Councils plan to become drug dealers

Local councils could soon be the biggest marijuana dealers in the Netherlands if a new pilot scheme is given the go-ahead, according to media reports.

The Dutch city of Eindhoven has announced plans to set up cannabis plantations to supply local coffee shops and allow authorities to clamp down on the criminals who currently supply the drug, The Independent has reported.

Several mayors of other cities are said to support the scheme.

While it is legal for coffee shops in the Netherlands to sell marijuana, it is illegal to supply the cafes with the drug.

Experts say the legal loophole has led to an illicit drug trade, reportedly worth 1.7 billion pounds a year.

Eindhoven Mayor Rob de Gijzel told the Dutch newspaper Volkskrant that authorities needed to get a grip on the supply of drugs to coffee shops.

"It's time that we experimented with a system of regulated plantations so we can have strict guidelines and controls on the quality and price," he said.

The proposal was made at a “weed summit”, and the plan for the legal cultivation would only go ahead if the central government agreed.

The Netherlands is famous for its relaxed marijuana laws. It is legal to possess less than five grams of the drug.

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