Simone van Breda — Chair of the Dutch Association of Cannabis Retailers (BCD) and coffeeshop policy expert

Simone van Breda
Chair of the Bond van Cannabisdetaillisten · Cannabis policy
Connecting where it chafes — to create movement where it truly matters.

Simone van Breda

In the spotlight

Chair since 2019. Active in the public domain since 2013.

At the table with coffeeshops, municipalities, ministries, banks and international forums — on the cannabis supply chain experiment, banking issues, the i-criterion and the international dialogue on cannabis regulation.

What I
bring to the table
.

As chair of the Dutch Association of Cannabis Retailers (BCD) and through Het Strategiebureau and the Recreational Cannabis Foundation.

01

Advocacy

Chair of the BCD: at the table with municipalities, ministries, parliament, banks and the Dutch Banking Association (NVB) — on behalf of the Dutch coffeeshop sector.

02

Cannabis experiment & regulation

Involved in the closed cannabis supply chain experiment since 2020 — first as project lead for a cultivation licence application, now as a discussion partner on implementation and evaluation.

03

Sector & members

Professionalising the BCD: annual plan, working groups, local branches and research that gives the sector practical tools — such as the report on banking issues.

04

Speaker & international

Keynotes and panels at TEDx Amsterdam, Cannabis Europa and ICS Cape Town; contributions to the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs in Vienna on behalf of the Recreational Cannabis Foundation.

Simone van Breda speaking on the TEDx Amsterdam stage, with the title of her talk on the screen

TEDx Amsterdam · 2025

Coffeeshops: The Surprising Solution to Care and Healing

Watch the talk

Position

"The Dutch coffeeshop isn't a problem to be solved — it's a fifty-year-old practice the world can learn from, provided we now give it the right legal foundation."

Foundation · ANBI · International

Recreational Cannabis Foundation — from local to global

A Dutch ANBI foundation contributing to European and global legislation on recreational cannabis — connecting policymakers, researchers and entrepreneurs worldwide through the Union of Cannabis Retailers (UCR) platform.

As founder and board member, I share Dutch practical expertise through RCF at conferences, panels and international bodies such as the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs.

Support the mission

Donations go directly towards research, knowledge-sharing and international cooperation.

Status
ANBI
Platform
UCR (NL · EU · Global)
IBAN
NL53 RABO 0162 7312 48
Donate to RCF

Strategic advice

What you can engage me for personally

Through Het Strategiebureau, I am available for strategic advice, research and feasibility, case and process guidance, and business mentoring. This is separate from my board role at the BCD.

My specialism is coffee shop policy, licensing, locations and banking questions. I bring facts and interests together and involve an accountant, lawyer or other specialist where needed.

Get in touch

Question, interview or case? Get in touch.

For press, politics, municipalities and partners in the sector. An initial introduction takes about half an hour, online or in person.