THC Vapes and Gummies in the Netherlands: Why Shops Can't Sell Them

Nineteen vapes, zero THC. That was the result when the Dutch current-affairs program Zembla had "THC vapes" from the school and youth market tested in 2025. Every one contained synthetic cannabinoids, mainly ADB-4en-PINACA and ADB-BUTINACA, cannabisindustrie.nl reported from the published results.

Searches for "THC vape" and "THC gummies" are high in the Netherlands, and the country's famous tolerance policy does not cover either product in the form most people picture. Here is why, and what is actually being sold.

Soft drug, hard drug, and the oil in between

Dutch drug law has two main lists. Cannabis flower and hashish are on List II (soft drugs). Cannabis extract is on List I, next to heroin and cocaine, defined in the Opium Act as a concentrate obtained by extracting hemp or hashish, "whether or not mixed with oil".

Coffeeshops are tolerated only if they sell no hard drugs. So distillate carts, oil tinctures and gummies made with extract are off limits for a normal shop. Amsterdam's coffeeshop association urged members to stop selling wax back in 2014 for this reason, cannabisindustrie.nl notes.

The legal exception: vapes in the experiment towns

In the ten municipalities of the closed coffeeshop chain experiment, the rules are written differently. Mechanical separation is permitted, while chemical separation with solvents is not, so rosin qualifies.

In February 2025 rosin and rosin vape pens from licensed grower CanAdelaar went on sale in an experiment coffeeshop in Tilburg; a 0.5 g pen cost €44.50, cannabisindustrie.nl reported. The first follow-up report on the experiment, sent to parliament in September 2026, found edibles and vapes had become common in trial shops.

Edibles in the experiment must be made by the licensed grower with raw cannabis; using concentrates is banned, the national government says. Researchers and municipalities have flagged concern that customers underestimate the strength of edibles and vapes. See our report on the experiment results.

What is really inside street "THC vapes"

Outside that narrow legal channel, a disposable "THC vape" is an unknown product, and Dutch tests suggest it is usually not THC at all.

On September 11, 2025, GGD Amsterdam and the addiction service Jellinek warned youth workers after pupils fainted, vomited or needed hospital care, NOS reported. Nearly all vapes examined contained synthetic cannabinoids ("spice"). Pupils bought them mostly through Snapchat and Instagram, and dealers delivered quickly.

Synthetic cannabinoids can be far stronger than THC and hard to dose. Jellinek lists risks including psychosis, heart palpitations and dependence, and notes that devices can hold hundreds to thousands of puffs.

Gummies: the same problem in candy form

A gummy made with THC extract is a List I product in the Netherlands, whatever the packaging says. Coffeeshops sell baked edibles such as space cake instead.

Imported-looking gummy packs with American brand styling, bought from a dealer or website, carry the same uncertainty as street vapes, because you cannot tell what is in them from the label. For how onset and dosing work with legitimate edibles, see our edibles dosing guide.

If someone reacts badly

1. Call 112 for serious symptoms
   Fainting, seizures, chest pain, confusion or repeated vomiting need emergency care. Tell responders what was used.
2. Keep the product
   The device or packaging helps doctors, and testing services can identify the substance.
3. Get advice
   Jellinek runs an information line (088-5051220) for worried users and parents.
4. Use the testing service
   DIMS, run by the Trimbos Institute, monitors the Dutch drug market and tests samples handed in at local test points.

Our checklist on spotting counterfeit vape carts applies here too. For the legal buying options, see the coffeeshop menu guide and the Netherlands hub.