On Dec 23, the Dutch Health Minister, Els Borst, announced the creation of a national bureau for medicinal cannabis. Its task will be to assess the therapeutic effectiveness of cannabis and its products. The creation of a national bureau will enable legal cultivation of cannabis for medical purposes. The bureau will hold a monopoly on the import and export of cannabis and will issue a limited number of licenses for cannabis cultivation. The bureau will oversee production to ensure that all cultivated cannabis is used only for pharmaceutical purposes. Excess production will be destroyed. Once a steady supply is established, the agency will initiate clinical trials.