Dutch choose to sell mdma through specialist shop

Poppi Drug Museum and Utrecht University investigated social reactions to the regulated sale of MDMA through an experiment: the xtc shop. The report with outcomes is out now.

The social debate on whether or not to regulate MDMA – the active ingredient in XTC – regularly flares up. The Netherlands is one of the largest producers and exporters of XTC, and more than a million Dutch people have used XTC at one time or another. However, the conversation about regulation is highly polarised, which limits thinking about alternative scenarios. For this reason, Poppi Drug Museum, in collaboration with Utrecht University, investigated three scenarios for alternative, legalised sales of MDMA: a pharmacy, a smartshop and a club. These three outlets were set up side by side in a storefront in the centre of Utrecht. The shop was open to the public between mid-July and the end of September 2022.

Within the survey linked to the XTC shop, the central question was: under what conditions do visitors and drug experts find regulated sales of XTC acceptable? The 1,600 visitors to the shop gave their views on the various conditions of selling. In addition, we held exit interviews and observed reactions on location. We invited targeted groups of politicians and policymakers on location to engage in debate and, finally, the team organised two focus groups with experts from the prevention and addiction field, criminologists and other drug policy experts.

Main conclusions: sales only under restrictions

An important conclusion is that neither the XTC shop visitors nor the participants in the focus groups understand by ‘legalisation’ or ‘regulation’ the complete release of MDMA sales. Both groups are in favour of (strict) restrictions on such sales. The experts are slightly more conservative in this respect and opted for a fourth scenario: a specialised and neutral point of sale with a relatively high threshold. Visitors to the XTC shop were in large numbers in favour of either sales by the pharmacy, or by a smart shop. In conversation, they often arrived at a scenario in between these two options, albeit with slightly fewer restrictions than what the experts opted for. Sales at parties and clubs also still met with acceptance from 60 per cent of visitors. Nevertheless, XTC shop visitors actually welcomed restrictions on sales. For instance, they were in support of a minimum age limit, all kinds of safety guarantees and limiting the maximum doses in pills. Almost everyone was against allowing marketing and advertising.

As a crossover between a public experiment and an art installation, the study had some limitations in data collection. Nevertheless, the report provides exciting indications for follow-up research and further policy explorations. The XTC shop also proved very effective in creating awareness and nuanced knowledge exchange among visitors and facilitating political dialogue: on location, by politicians and in the media. The conversation in the shop went beyond a polarised debate on whether or not to regulate but went in-depth into possible alternative scenarios for how to deal with MDMA. Doing so contributed to a deepening of the Dutch drug debate.

more information?

The report can be found here.

For press inquiries, Machteld Busz can be reached on 0643026206.

The XTC shop was a collaboration between Poppi Drug Museum, Utrecht University, creative makers Corne van der Stelt and Vincent Schoutsen of the Uitvindersgilde.