CBD and coffee shops: do not confuse the two concepts

Since the 1970s the term "coffee shop" has been associated with Dutch establishments that tolerate the sale of cannabis for recreational use and consumption on the premises, under an administrative tolerance specific to the Netherlands with no equivalent in French law. In France, the growth of the CBD market has sometimes borrowed that vocabulary to describe specialist shops, creating a terminological confusion. Yet the two models have nothing in common legally: one rests on a local tolerance regarding a narcotic, the other on regulated retail trade in a legal product.

A French CBD shop sells hemp-derived products whose THC content does not exceed 0.30 % in the finished product, a threshold confirmed by the decision of the Conseil d'État of 29 December 2022 (no. 444887). You will find hemp flowers and resins to smoke or infuse, sublingual oils, cosmetics and sometimes e-liquids. These products do not produce a psychoactive effect comparable to that of the recreational cannabis sold in a Dutch coffee shop, where the THC content is far higher and subject to no equivalent regulatory ceiling.

No, as a general rule. Unlike the Dutch model, where on-site consumption is an integral part of the concept, a French CBD shop remains a point of sale. Some chains offer tasting areas for infusions, but this never involves burning flowers on the premises, a practice that MILDECA advises against on health grounds in any case, quite apart from the legality of what is being smoked.

A French tourist visiting Amsterdam should bear in mind that the cannabis sold in Dutch coffee shops far exceeds the French legal threshold of 0.30 % THC. Bringing any of it back to France, even in small quantities, is a criminal offence, whatever the product's status in the Netherlands. Conversely, a compliant CBD product bought in France, with its certificate of analysis, travels more easily within the European Union, subject to checking the rules of the destination country before setting off.

The same criteria apply everywhere: a certificate of analysis available for every product line, the absence of cannabinoids banned since the ANSM order of 3 June 2024 (HHC, H4CBD, THCP), dosage clearly displayed in milligrams, and vocabulary confined to wellbeing rather than therapeutic promises. Our CBD buying guide sets out these markers step by step so you can choose a reliable shop.

Is a French CBD shop the same thing as a Dutch coffee shop?

No. A CBD shop sells legal products below 0.30 % THC, with no consumption on the premises. A Dutch coffee shop comes under a separate local tolerance regarding recreational cannabis, specific to the Netherlands.

Can you smoke a CBD flower in a French shop?

No, consumption on the premises is generally not offered. Burning flowers is in any case advised against on health grounds by MILDECA, quite apart from its legality.

Can you bring cannabis back from a Dutch coffee shop to France?

No. The cannabis sold in the Netherlands exceeds the French legal threshold of 0.30 % THC. Bringing it back to France, even in small quantities, is a criminal offence.

How can you check that a French CBD shop is reliable?

Ask for the product's certificate of analysis, check that no banned cannabinoids are present, and be wary of any therapeutic promise, which is prohibited by French law.