The Dutch drug laws are similar to any other country's laws, but they are interpreted much more loosely. Since there is much confusion on this topic, I will try to describe our laws and to be as verbose as possible.
The dutch drug law is called the "Opiumwet" [opium law]. Basically, we have two categories in our "Opiumlijst" [opium list]. The name dates way back to when the English' opium frenzy got a little out of hand...
We have "soft drugs" and "hard drugs". In the soft drugs category [Opiumlijst 2, or more commonly "lijst 2"], only the cannabis plant is listed. This applies to the natural product only; if you extract the d9-THC from a cannabis source, the product falls under list 1.
Then there is the hard drugs category [Opiumlijst 1], which contains all well-known substances. This list is updated regularly with analogues that are causing trouble. Substances that are kept underground (like 2C-T-7 and TMA-2) tend not to appear on any list.
Several substances are considered to have a medical application, or haven't yet been prevalent enough to warrant inclusion in the Opium lists. Among these are GHB, ketamine and amylnitrate (poppers). These mostly are still subject to medicine laws (comparable to the FDA's task field in America).
Except for cannabis, plants and fungi that grow in the area naturally, of which Stropharia cubensis [magic mushrooms] is the most famous, are not listed, and as such, not forbidden. Most interesting substances extracted from these (such as psilocybin, mescaline) ARE listed on list 1 however, and also dried mushrooms are considered an "extraction" and have been added to list 1. Discussion is currently spreading about new cannabis types which are modified to contain more THC; it is undecided whether this will be considered a list 1.
Formally, you are not allowed to possess any substance on any of the opium lists. You are allowed to keep medicines (GHB, ketamine), but you cannot sell them. You are allowed to keep any substance not on the list, and to sell them, as long as it is clear that they are not for ingestion (otherwise, food laws apply, which makes about everything you do a felony).
Netherlands spawned many "coffee shops" that carry cannabis products (weed, as well as prefab joints). Those products fall under list 2. Until a few years ago, when many coffeeshops were opened, their legal status was unclear. Technically list 2 products are illegal to possess or sell; but the government's attitude on these products is relaxed. Possession of small to medium quantities is never prosecuted or even frowned upon. In 2000, towns have been given room for defining rules to which coffee shops must comply; among the rules are maximum amounts (usually 500g) of hash per store at any occasion; maximum amounts (formerly 5g, now more loose) that are to be sold at once; no derived products (spacecake); admittance for 18+ with identification only; and no sale of alcohol. Setting these rules meant a de facto acknowledgement of possession and sale of small quantities, and this is considered a "semi-legal" status for coffee shops and users. Although the law still prohibits these activities, there have been several lawsuits with local authorities in which coffee shop owners were able to successfully defend their rights. Distribution of cannabis products is now an established field of business and in a few years, cannabis has become socially accepted throughout most parts of society.
Also on the virge of legality, many "smart shops" have been opened. While some smart shops stick to the natural stimulants and try to keep safe and stay away from psychoactives, most smart shops carry magic mushrooms; some sell peyote cacti and cannabis as well. As I mentioned before, the raw mushroom is not forbidden and it is perfectly legal to sell and possess it. Some shops have gotten into trouble by selling dried mushrooms (a derived product, thus falling under list 1), but as the mushroom hype is behind us, they are becoming more commonly available again. Smart shops, being often ran by psychedelic advocates, tend to take a "trial and error" approach to laws and will often try to establish a precedent rather than erring on the safe side of caution. Mushrooms have raised considerable media interest and are well-known; most young people will approach you with interest rather than judgement when you admit you take these.
While some smart shops prefer the image of "natural high provider" and make politically opportunistic statements about chemical drugs, most smart shops provide legal substances like 2C-T-7, TMA-2 and poppers too. GHB and ketamine have a bad track record of sending clueless users to the emergency room, and because those ARE illegal to sell, smart shops usually do not carry these (unless you get to know the owners better, then they can usually arrange for interesting things, but this is usually not part of their business plan).
Hard drugs like MDMA and methamphetamine are not sold at any legal shop; there are many large and smaller underground distribution networks; whether these are available to you depends on "friends" and contacts. Do not bother smart shop and coffee shop owners with questions about these drugs -- they are working hard to establish a "clean" image and generally do not want their name to be associated with hard drugs in any way.
Every major city in the Netherlands has a government-sponsored testing facility for pills. This is done under the DIMS [Drug Information and Monitoring System], and supposedly helps authorities in tracking pill quantities and quality. Recently, the DIMS has been effective in recognizing PMA, atropine and DXM pills being sold as ecstasy, and they have helped the community by spreading pamphlets and making press releases about pill types possibly containing atropine. (To the more conscious drug user, this is irrelevant, because you always should test your pills before eating them anyway, and with Netherlands' testing agencies, there is no single excuse for not doing it.)
Ofcourse, to most, this part of harm reduction is not more than a side effect -- the more interesting thing is you can have your pills lab analyzed for a small fee, usually from NLG5 [$2] to NLG25 [$10]. The drug information agencies supply users with decent information. Ofcourse they will not formally confirm any positive aspect of the drug experience; but they give good and accurate information on harm reduction without resorting to scare tactics.
The drug information agencies are all supported and watched by the government; most of them have a legal status which allows them to handle listed substances. Also a guideline has been set which prohibits local police from interfering with their clients.
Private soft drug use as well as hard drug use are generally condoned. People are not being harassed for possession of small quantities of listed substances; unless you get yourself in trouble, you won't have to worry too much about the authorities. [But you need to keep in mind this is common practice, not law.]
Trouble in this context usually means: when people complain about you. For instance, violence is a no-go, and when you are under the influence penalties will be much higher. Or if you bring large (10+) quantities of pills to a club and the bouncers don't like you; you could potentially be turned over to the police. This is not very dangerous if you have only a small amount of pills, meth or coke; but you will not get away with possession with intent to sell. Sometimes local authorities will give venue owners a hard time, especially when their club is implied in drug-induced casualties or distribution. This does not happen all too often, and generally authorities, promoters and club owners work together to cure these problems. [This occasionally leads to anti-drug statements by club owners, but by common sense, most of these statements are more political than realistic.]
Holland's attitude leads to a few guidelines:
* against openly use of hard drugs
* against distribution of hard drugs
* against distribution of pharmaceuticals
* against drug use by minors
* private, moderated, responsible use for hard drugs as well as soft drugs
The Netherlands are very nice to you as long as you abide by these unwritten rules. The laws for prosecuting you are available; but drug use alone is hardly ever reason for prosecution. This makes the Netherlands one of the most progressive and reasonable countries when it comes to drugs. You can have a life filled with beautiful drug experiences and do not have to worry about it. It would have been nice to have a fully legal basis for psychedelics, but the current situation is probably the best possible solution in the world of today.
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"In my world there are people in chains, and we can ride them like horses..."
Willow's Evil Twin - Buffy the Vampire Slayer
