The Hague has followed Amsterdam and decided not to take part in the government’s experiment with regulated marijuana cultivation, saying the plan is unworkable.

‘We consider the conditions are not sufficiently practical,’ The Hague’s mayor Pauline Krikke said. The decision is based on conversations with licenced coffee shop owners in the city. ‘Their lack of support is a clear signal,’ Krikke said in a briefing to councillors.

The experiment with regulated growing is supposed to remove the gray area between the sale of marijuana in council-licenced coffee shops and the illegal cultivation and supply.

However, there are so many problems with the proposals that the Dutch local authorities association VNG said at the end of last year it will now be difficult to find 10 councils which want to take part

One issue is with the four year trial period, which will not be extended, even if the experiment is successful. This means that coffee shop owners will be forced back into the illegal circuit after four years of selling ‘legal’ marijuana.

Another objection is the requirement that all coffee shops within a council area take part in the scheme.

Councils have until June 11 to sign up to take part.