Why we don't sell edibles (yet)

“Got any spacecake?” A question we hear several times a week at the bar, often from visitors just arrived from another city or another country. The answer, for now, is no. Below, why — and, honestly, also why we would offer them if it were up to us.

Not banned, just no rules (yet)

Contrary to what you might think: there’s no law that bans edibles. It’s the other way round — there simply aren’t any clear rules for them yet. And as long as there aren’t, it stays at dried bud and hash.

In all of Twente, only three cities are permitted to have coffeeshops: Enschede, Hengelo, and Almelo. The three mayors have aligned on the coffeeshop dossier for years, and the agreement in our region is plain: dried cannabis and hash only. No edibles — no spacecake, no gummies, no brownies, no cannabis butter, no drinks, no tinctures. We sell dried product because, right now, nothing else is permitted to us.

The mayor of Hengelo has indicated that edibles made from raw cannabis may well be permitted, and may already fall under the current tolerance policy — but he has explicitly asked us to stop sales until edibles have been written into Hengelo’s Damocles policy and clear rules are in place. Bureaucratic mills grind slowly, so that may take a while yet. Until then, we wait.

And honestly: we’d offer them

Because an edible has a real advantage: you don’t have to smoke to get the effect. The health harm of cannabis lives mostly in the smoke — tar, carbon monoxide, the familiar list — not in the active compound itself. An edible bypasses that whole package. For someone who does want cannabis but would rather not light a joint, that’s a serious alternative.

The objection is always that dosing is too complicated: an edible works slower, stronger and longer than a joint, and you need to know that before you start. But that’s exactly what we’ve been good at since 1990 — informing, explaining, guiding a first time. A good coffeeshop is precisely where that goes well, not where it goes wrong.

We’re not saying the concerns are nonsense, mind you. Edibles look like ordinary snacks, and in a home with children or pets that’s a real risk. But those are reasons to regulate edibles properly — packaging, a leaflet, dose per portion — not to hold them back while dried weed crosses the counter freely. Which is why we’re glad the mayor is keeping the door ajar.

What that means for you

Practically: at our place you buy weed or hash, and you go home. If you turn that into part of your dinner at home — baking paper, butter, patience — that’s your own kitchen, your own responsibility, and not something we can guide from the shop.

Read What your body does with THC first if you’re going to. The gist: edibles only kick in after 30 to 90 minutes and are often stronger than you expect, because your liver makes 11-hydroxy-THC on the way through. Four rules you won’t regret:

• Start with a small dose. A quarter of what you thought. Honestly.
• Wait at least 60 minutes before drawing conclusions. No “let me just have one more.”
• Know the edible? Then you can slowly raise your dose until you reach a level you’re comfortable with.
• Plan your moment. No driving. Don’t take it on an empty stomach. A calm setting.

Short summary

• No law bans edibles — there simply aren’t clear rules for them yet. So for now we sell only dried bud and hash.
• The mayor of Hengelo has indicated that edibles made from raw cannabis may be on the way, but asks us to wait until the Damocles policy sets clear rules. The same line runs through Enschede and Almelo.
• We’d honestly like to offer them — nobody has to smoke to get the effect, and a coffeeshop with nearly forty years of education experience is exactly the right place for sensible use.
• The moment it’s allowed, you’ll hear about it. Got a question at the bar? Just ask.