VZCZCXRO3453
PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN
RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHTC #0319/01 0951217
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 041217Z APR 08
FM AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1328
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHAT/AMCONSUL AMSTERDAM 3939
RUEAWJA/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC
RHEHOND/DIR ONDCP WASHINGTON DC
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHDC
RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA 0150
RUEHNA/DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMIN HQ WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 THE HAGUE 000319 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EUR/WE AND EUR/PGI 
STATE ALSO FOR INL 
ONDCP FOR CSISSON 
HHS FOR SAMHSA - KHENNESSEY 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SNAR KCRM PREL PGOV NL
SUBJECT:  DUTCH DRUG POLICY:  NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE ANTICIPATED 
 
 
THE HAGUE 00000319  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary:  The ministers of Justice and Health told 
Parliament during a March 6 debate that they did not anticipate 
significant changes in Dutch drug policy over the next few years; 
they also stressed that the government does not intend to seek 
revisions to international drug treaties.  The Ministers said they 
would submit a strategic assessment of Dutch drug policy to the 
Second Chamber in the spring of 2009.  The assessment will include 
the government's proposals on Dutch drug policy over the next few 
years, as well as a review of Dutch soft drug policy over the past 
30 years, and a comparison between Dutch and foreign drug policies. 
Working level contacts at the Ministries of Health and Justice 
confirmed that the strategic assessment was unlikely to lead to 
major changes in Dutch drug policy.  Separately, Health Minister 
Klink told Parliament that coffeeshops would not be exempt from the 
tobacco smoking ban which goes into effect on July 1.  End Summary. 
 
 
ASSESSMENT, NOT MAJOR CHANGE 
---------------------------- 
 
¶2. (U) At the request of opposition party Democrats 66 (D66), the 
Dutch parliament debated drug policy on March 6.  Minister of 
Justice Ernst Hirsch Ballin and Minister of Health Ab Klink said 
they would conduct a strategic assessment of Dutch drug policy which 
would be submitted to the Second Chamber in the spring of 2009.  The 
assessment will include the government's proposals on Dutch drug 
policy over the next few years, a review of Dutch soft drug policy 
of the past 30 years, and a comparison between Dutch and foreign 
drug policies.  Klink said that he had also asked the National 
Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) to study the 
relative health risks of various kinds of drugs, including alcohol, 
tobacco, cannabis, and pharmaceuticals.  That study is expected to 
be similar to a British study published in The Lancet in March 2007, 
and will indicate whether or not the current Dutch classification 
system should be revised.  Additionally, the previously planned 
second risk analysis of cannabis, as well as a new drug prevention 
report, will be published before the end of the year.  The 
conclusions from all three studies will be reflected in the 
strategic assessment. 
 
¶3. (U) Boh Hirsch Ballin and Klink stated that no drastic canges 
would be required in Dutch drug policy ove the next few years and 
that the GONL did not inend to seek revisions to international drug 
treates.  Klink said that he would seriously promote th principle 
of harm reduction during the upcoming assessment of the 1998 UNGASS 
drug policy action plan.  He noted that harm reduction is a very 
important and well-tested method for preventing HIV and other 
infections.  He said that he would soon submit an amendment to the 
Opium Act to ban the use of fresh magic mushrooms, as the Second 
Chamber requested in November 2007.  Both dried and fresh magic 
mushrooms will be put on list 2 (the "hard" drug list) of the Opium 
Act. (Note:  The possession or sale of "hard" drugs is a criminal 
offense; the sale or possession of small quantities of "soft" drugs, 
primarily cannabis products, is "tolerated."  End Note)  Hirsch 
Ballin said he would soon submit a bill to ban so-called "grow" 
shops that sell, deliver, transport and manufacture equipment for 
cannabis cultivation. 
 
¶4. (U) D66 opposition party spokesman Van der Ham, who requested the 
debate, concluded that there no longer was a parliamentary majority 
in favor of regulating the supply of cannabis to coffeeshops to end 
the controversial policy of allowing "front door" sales while 
banning "backdoor" deliveries.  Van der Ham submitted a resolution 
asking the government to use the UNGASS review to promote the 
position that "harm reduction as a starting-point for drug policy 
should be the leading principle."  Klink advised against the 
resolution, noting that while harm reduction was an important 
principle, prevention and fighting trafficking were equally 
important.  He stated that he did not want to reopen drug treaties, 
but would work on harm reduction within the framework of the current 
treaties.  The Second Chamber rejected Van der Ham's resolution on 
March 13. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Ministry of Health Senior Policy Officer Marcel de Kort and 
Ministry of Justice drug policy expert Jean Luc Luijs told us in 
separate conversations that the GONL is just beginning to define the 
scope and methodology of the drug policy strategic review.  The 
current drug policy was developed in 1995; de Kort and Luijs 
 
THE HAGUE 00000319  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
indicated that the strategic assessment would allow the government 
to take stock of current policy, and to substantiate the 
effectiveness of the hard drug/soft drug approach.  Additionally, 
the strategic assessment will ensure that Dutch drug policy is in 
line with the EU Drugs Action Plan (2005-2008).  However, both 
stressed that no significant changes to Dutch drug policy are 
anticipated as a result of the strategic assessment.  The second 
risk assessment of cannabis, which will look at the relationship 
between higher THC levels and risk/addiction, the relationship 
between cannabis and mental disorders, and the increase in requests 
for treatment, will be considered as part of the strategic 
assessment, as will the RIVM study and the new drug prevention 
report.  (Note: the first risk assessment of cannabis was conducted 
in 2006.  End note.)  De Kort added that while there is a large 
minority in parliament in favor of policy liberalization, there is 
an equally large minority in favor of tightening policy, and 
therefore the status quo will likely remain. 
 
TOBACCO SMOKING BAN WILL APPLY TO COFFEESHOPS 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶6. (U) Separately, Health Minister Klink said in a reply to 
parliamentary questions that coffeeshops would not be exempted from 
the tobacco smoking ban that goes into effect on July 1, 2008, and 
that tobacco smoking will be allowed only in special closed-off 
smoking areas of coffeeshops.  He noted that just like workers in 
the regular catering sector, coffeeshop workers need to be protected 
from tobacco smoke.  Klink said that smoking cannabis without 
tobacco in coffeshops is permitted under the Tobacco Act.  He 
promised Parliament a study on the effects of the tobacco smoking 
ban in coffeeshops by early next year, including information on 
possible changes in smoking behavior of coffeeshop visitors such as 
switching to pure joints or other alternatives. 
 
¶7. (SBU) COMMENT.  Despite widespread speculation that the Dutch 
government would initiate a major overhaul of Dutch drug policy, 
including a move either to end the distinction between hard and soft 
drugs, or to further liberalize treatment of cannabis to permit 
regulated, wholesale deliveries of cannabis products to coffeeshops, 
it seems clear the government does not plan any such change.  Nor 
will the Dutch seek significant revisions to international drug 
treaties.  Regardless of the outcome of the strategic assessment, we 
expect the Dutch to continue their efforts to actively enforce laws 
against trafficking and commercial production of both hard and soft 
drugs, including the expanded enforcement efforts by regional police 
forces against indoor marijuana plantations. 
 
Gallagher