After more than forty years of entrepreneurship, the future of the coffeeshop hangs The black sea in Enschede hanging by a thread. The coffeeshop is currently fighting to retain its hospitality license, after the municipality decided not to renew it based on a negative Bibob recommendation. As a result, one of the city's best-known coffeeshops is in danger of having to close its doors after all.
Police raid provides the trigger
The case dates back to December 2023, when the police raided premises on Stadsgravenstraat in Enschede. During the raid, dozens of kilograms of cannabis were found in an adjacent building. Although the operator of The Black Sea has always denied that this stock belonged to the coffeeshop, the raid prompted the municipality to initiate a Bibob investigation.
In a previous court case, the judge ruled that the municipality could not sufficiently demonstrate that the discovered stock actually belonged to The Black Sea. As a result, the coffeeshop was allowed to remain open at the time. However, the discussion has not disappeared.
Municipal policy plays an important role
According to various parties involved, this case is now no longer just about the police raid, but also about the tightened coffeeshop policy of the municipality of Enschede.
Since the introduction of new regulations, coffeeshop operators have been required to periodically reapply for a tolerance and catering license. During this process, integrity and potential risks are assessed, among other things, via the Bibob procedure. Based on that advice, the municipality decided not to re-grant The Black Sea's license.
The well-known back door problem
During the trial, an issue that the cannabis industry has been struggling with for years came to the fore once again: the so-called backdoor problem.
Although coffeeshops are allowed to hold a maximum of 500 grams of stock, many establishments sell considerably more daily. As a result, multiple deliveries per day are necessary, while the supply is officially still illegal. According to The Black Sea's lawyer, this case demonstrates once again how complicated that situation remains in practice.
Future still uncertain
The owner of The Black Sea hopes to regain the permit and emphasizes that he has been operating for decades without major problems. Should the judge ultimately rule in favor of the municipality, the coffeeshop faces permanent closure.
The ruling will not only be important for The Black Sea but is also being followed with interest by other coffeeshops. The outcome could, after all, have implications for how municipalities handle Bibob procedures, permits, and the national tolerance policy in the future.
Source: cnnbs.nl
