Tobacco giant Altria, formerly Philip Morris and best known for Marlboro, has entered the Dutch regulated cannabis experiment by becoming a part owner of CanAdelaar, the largest grower in the pilot program. The information comes from investigations by Investico, De Groene Amsterdammer, and NU.nl, which also highlight concerns from researchers and addiction experts about the tobacco industry gaining a foothold in the Dutch cannabis market.
CanAdelaar plays a key role in the Dutch cannabis experiment
The Dutch regulated cannabis experiment is intended to test how a legal and controlled supply chain can work. Under the trial, coffeeshops in ten municipalities are only allowed to sell cannabis and hashish from the ten approved growers.
CanAdelaar is the largest of those growers. The company produces around 20,000 kilograms of cannabis per year and supplied a large number of coffeeshops last year. That is why the ownership change is seen as important far beyond a single company.
Get the week’s important news from Cannabis.se in your inbox — interesting weekend reading! 🥦✉️
The Cronos deal gave Altria a path into the Dutch market
The background is that Altria already bought nearly half of the shares in the Canadian cannabis company Cronos in 2019. Several people on Cronos’ board also have ties to Altria.
In December 2025, Cronos announced that it would acquire the Dutch company CanAdelaar for 57.5 million euros. Through that deal, the tobacco industry gained a direct connection to the largest grower in the Dutch regulated cannabis experiment.
Researchers warn about how the tobacco industry could shape the cannabis market
The acquisition of a legal cannabis grower in the Netherlands does not violate the rules, but several researchers and addiction experts have raised concerns. According to Rachel Barry of the University of Bath, cannabis is part of the tobacco industry’s long-term strategy to diversify as cigarettes face tighter regulation and growing criticism.
Other experts point out that the tobacco industry has long used lobbying, public relations, and research messaging to protect its commercial interests. They therefore fear that the same methods could now be used in the cannabis market, especially if large companies want to influence how cannabis is viewed politically and commercially.
Industry-funded cannabis studies are raising new questions
The investigation also points to researchers paid by Aspeya publishing several scientific articles over the past two years on the potential benefits of cannabis. Aspeya is a subsidiary of Philip Morris International.
Kevin Jenniskens of Cochrane Netherlands said in the reporting that industry-funded studies often involve spin rather than outright research fraud. After reviewing the papers, he said he saw red flags, including that they were descriptive literature reviews with greater room for interpretation and selective inclusion of studies.
The government’s evaluation may shape the next phase
The Dutch government is expected to evaluate the progress of the cannabis experiment in the coming months. Altria’s connection to CanAdelaar is therefore likely to become a new issue in the debate over how a regulated cannabis market should be designed and which actors should be allowed to influence it.
For critics, the concern is not only the ownership itself, but the risk that an industry with major marketing budgets and strong lobbying resources could gain a central role in an experiment that is still being evaluated politically and socially.
Source
Big Tobacco enters Dutch regulated cannabis experiment with stake in largest grower
Sponsor: Sensi Seeds are one of Europe’s most recognized names in premium cannabis genetics, offering a wide selection of feminized, autoflowering, CBD-rich and F1 hybrid seeds for customers who want quality, consistency and choice.