US tobacco giant moves into Dutch weed legalisation trial

A US tobacco giant is behind the planned take over of the Netherlands’ biggest licensed cannabis grower, prompting fears among addiction experts that the industry’s marketing and lobbying tactics will spread into the Dutch weed legalisation experiment.

The experiment is a government trial for a fully legalised cannabis supply chain, for which 10 growers have been licensed to supply coffeeshops in 10 local councils.

CanAdelaar, the largest of these growers, is being bought by the Canadian cannabis company Cronos, which is around 41% owned by Altria – formerly Philip Morris and the maker of Marlboro in the US. The link was established in a joint investigation by Investico, De Groene Amsterdammer and broadcaster NU.nl.

Cronos announced the deal in December but it has not yet been completed: the company now expects to close the €57.5 million purchase later this year, once it clears Dutch regulatory checks and a background screening of the buyer known as Bibob.

Fears over marketing

Seven addiction and tobacco specialists consulted for the investigation all voiced concerns about the deal. Marc Willemsen of the Trimbos Institute, a public health and addiction knowledge centre, warned that the industry has no interest in curbing long-term use.

Tom Bart of the Dutch addiction service Jellinek pointed to how tobacco firms have used influencers and social media to push vapes.

The investigation also found that Aspeya, a subsidiary of Philip Morris International – a separate company spun off from Altria in 2008 – had paid nine of 11 authors behind at least four scientific papers promoting the potential benefits of cannabis compounds.

Kevin Jenniskens of Cochrane Netherlands, which assesses the quality of medical research, said such industry-funded reviews are red flags and that results tend to present findings in favour of those that commissioned them.

Companies reject concerns

Cronos said the acquisition was a strategic move into Europe, that Altria has no control over its day-to-day operations, commercial strategy or brand choices, and that Cronos is not a tobacco company. CanAdelaar said it operates independently of Altria.

Altria did not respond. Philip Morris International said it was shifting its business towards smoke-free alternatives for adult smokers, and Aspeya said the funding and conflicting interests were disclosed in the scientific papers.

The justice and health ministries, which run the experiment, declined to comment on transactions in progress.

CanAdelaar grows around 20,000 kilos of cannabis a year – enough, by one estimate, for 60 million joints – in former tomato greenhouses near Hellevoetsluis, where residents have lodged some 2,500 complaints about the smell. The experiment will run until 2029.