The sale and consumption of cannabis has been tolerated in the Netherlands since the 1970s, but the country is now taking a step towards a more regulated approach. Up to ten legal growers have been given a licence to legally produce hash and weed for participating coffee shops. The Netherlands is not alone in this. Several countries have already legalised recreational cannabis use, and seven scientific pilots are running in Switzerland. The important question, however, is not just whether regulated sales are possible, but how such a system might be implemented…The recommendations to the Netherlands from our study are simple: whether you choose legalisation, restriction, or something in between, formulate measurable goals and evaluate them systematically. When public health is paramount, a tightly controlled supply model without commercial interests may be desirable. When reducing the illegal market is a priority, a low-threshold customer-oriented model may be more appropriate.