Sawt Falasteen - Dutch growers eye pot of gold as weed test trial rolls out

"I call it a historic moment," the 34-year-old Matai tells AFP, as the Netherlands decriminalises the production of cannabis in certain regions as part of a four-year test run.

It is a common misconception that cannabis is legal in the Netherlands, world-famous for its "coffee shops" that in fact sell pot, not coffee.

In fact, consumption is illegal but "tolerated" under a policy dating back nearly five decades.

But the production and supply of cannabis is neither legal nor tolerated, meaning growers like Matai were forced to operate in the shadows.

From Friday, coffee shops in Breda and Tilburg, two cities in the southern part of the country, will legally be allowed to sell pot from registered suppliers -- all legally.

One of those 10 farms is "Holland High", where Matai is "cultivation director". He says the trial will be of huge benefit to consumers.

Matai grows more than 45 varieties of cannabis in his "culture room" heated to 25 degrees Celsius (77 degrees Fahrenheit), where scissor-wielding staff cut and prune the plants with almost surgical precision.

"The product will be clean, tested, pesticide-free. We know exactly what comes in, what comes out so the consumer will get a much safer product," he told AFP, clad in protective equipment.

Before the pilot programme, coffee shops were in a legal grey area that was exploited by gangs, resulting in petty crime and anti-social behaviour.

"All the coffee shops, our own retail infrastructure, who are selling cannabis over the counter, the way they get supplied is all a mystery," said Matai.

- 'Cat and mouse' -

Before the trial, it was a "cat and mouse game" with the authorities, explained Matai.

The people who do their best to supply the coffee shops were "taking risks, every day", he said.

"I used to be in that situation as well, and it always feels like a stressful situation", he said.

The firm had to move its plants from its illegal plantations to its above-board greenhouse over a period of two weeks, in a military-style "special operation."

They used "scout cars" to warn of police patrols while they were shifting the gear.

CEO of Holland High, Edwin van der Knaap, said around 35 to 40 million euros ($44 million) had been sunk into the project, with the first deliveries expected from February.

More than 33,000 plants from dozens of varieties are cultivated on the farm, which the managers claim is the most "technologically advanced" of those participating.

Pre-rolled joints and edible cannabis products are also produced there.

Van der Knaap said he was "very confident" that the trial would end in a full decriminalisation -- "the only way possible."

"Fifty years ago, the Netherlands was sort of leading in the cannabis space, was sort of the hot bed of cannabis," he told AFP.

He feels that moves to legalise the drug in the United States and Canada have left the Netherlands trailing behind but hopes the trial will change all that.

"We are well positioned to take the Netherlands back to the forefront of the cannabis industry," he said.

As for Matai, he cannot wait to share his quality cannabis with coffee shop patrons.

"We love this plant, and we love to bring it to the masses."

O.Farraj--SF-PST