The current legal status of research chemicals in the Netherlands

The first thing we should start with is saying that research chemicals should solely be used for research purposes only. Having said that: research chemicals are on the rise in the Netherlands as per popularity numbers. This could either be because people are seeing the scientific advantages of actually doing experiments with research chemicals in nl or because they are using them, which we discourage. In this short blog we will discuss the current legal status of research chemicals in the Netherlands and what the projected legal status will be.

Current legal status

As for now, most research chemicals nl are legal when bought and used purely for research purposes in a safe environment. This is with the exception that none of the chemicals are currently on the opium lists of the Netherlands or the EU. Certain research chemicals in itself are illegal but have components that are legal, thus creating what we call a legal grey area. The reason most of the research chemicals are currently legal is because, for now, they fall under the Dutch Warenwet (goods law). Once again, this is due to most of the chemicals not being on the opium list one or two.

Projected legal status

In April of 2019 a motion entered the Dutch parliament to end research chemicals once and for all by introducing a law that would now make the research chemicals themselves illegal, but all broad substances and chemicals they exist of illegal. Thus, effectively shutting down the entire market by making the work-around method most producers have been using unviable. Thus far this law has yet to gain official traction, although per October of 2021 certain research chemicals have been placed on the second opium list. Currently there are plans to, somewhere in between the years 2023 and 2025, make the aforementioned law a reality.