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Amsterdam Coffeeshop
A
'coffeeshop' can best be described as a café which does not
sell alcoholic beverages and in which, under certain circumstances,
soft drugs may be sold. Although the sale of soft drugs is an offense,
low priority is given to the prosecution of coffee shop owners,
provided they meet the following conditions:
- no more than five grams per person may be
sold in any one transaction;
- no hard drugs may be sold;
- drugs may not be advertised;
- the coffee shop must not cause any nuisance;
- no drugs may be sold to persons under the age of 18,
nor may minors be admitted on the premises.
If you've never been to amsterdam before, nothing can quite prepare you for the large smile you're going to have on your face the first time you realise, that yes - you can buy a joint in a coffee shop and not get in trouble.
A word of warning
The grass and hash in Amsterdam may well be a lot stronger than you are used to. The first time I went to Amsterdam, I thought I'd be able to handle things just fine - 15 minutes later I was sitting outside in the recovery position. There is a tendency to go mad first time you are there, just remember you can smoke at your own pace. The aim of the game is to have a good time. In particular, some of the strains of nederweed have been bred to contain very high levels of THC (the active ingredient). Get used to it before you over do it. This tip applies particularly to space cakes - if you eat too much then you run the very real risk of overdoing it, so have a bit wait, then a bit more - Slow & Steady wins the race :)
Amsterdam Travel Tips
Coffeeshop Etiquette - You don't need to buy something to smoke in every place you go, indeed if you do - you'll get to the end of your trip and find you have a load of different types of hash and weed left. It's not much good to you on the morning you are leaving, so try and buy minimum quantities - you can always buy more. If you're going into a coffeeshop and not planning to buy any marijuana buy a drink, buy some food. It's just rude to go into someone's shop, smoke and go, remember that these are commercial businesses, they need to make money from their customers to stay in business.
Checking into the hotel - I still remember going to amsterdam and deciding that what I really needed to do first was to go for a couple of beers and smoke a few joints. I came to check in, and I was struck by the giggles. The point about uncontrollable laughter, is while it is definitely good for you - you are also conscious of the fact that the question, 'smoking or non-smoking' is actually not worthy of fits of laughter. So best thing to do, check-in and then get busy.
DO NOT BUY ANY DRUGS ON THE STREET....EVER As soon as you emerge from central station, you may well be approached by people offering to sell you all manner of drugs. The reality of the situation is you can buy marijuana from a coffeeshop, which is a regulated environment. More than likely, they are trying to scam you. Furthermore, if you start a conversation with these people, they will follow you like a bad smell. The best thing to do, is just ignore them and NOT engage them in conversation.
Other things to do in Amsterdam - When I was much younger I always made a point of going to the Van Gogh museum, just so I could create a 'cover story' for my trip. Now I no longer need to justify my trips I would still recommend a trip to the Van Gogh museum, it makes you feel you achieved something in an otherwise hedonistic trip. If you've got a decent budget I'd also strongly recommend a trip to the Supperclub - which is a great experience.
When you're stoned, the plethora of different types of traffic can become overwhelming - you need to watch out for bikes, cars and trams. I still remember being pulled back by a friend as I tried to send myself to an early grave, having not paid any attention to the traffic. It's worth taking that extra bit of care.
My favourite coffeeshops - over the course of your trips to amsterdam everyone picks up their favourites. These are mine:
The grasshopper - Ok, it's certainly not the best - but still retains memories because it was the first coffeeshop I went to. It's just down the road from central station and the weed area is downstairs. I still remember the smile on my face when I saw the menu ...
Kandinsky - They took over what was once my favourite coffeshop (cum laude). They consistently have very high quality hash - I strongly recommend the trans himalayan - not too heavy, sweet with a nice buzz. Kandinsky is actually a chain of coffeeshops and it's a nice place to spend an afternoon
Barney's - I include this, more for the breakfasts they do than the smoking experience. It's a bit out the way, but a nice place to go for breakfast, sadly european's don't do breakfast as well as their UK and US counterparts - Barney's goes some way to redress this.
Abraxas - Another cool coffeeshop, right opposite the secret entrance to the Supperclub - good for a pre-dinner smoke.
Over the course of your trip, you'll find your own favorites and in many ways that's part of the fun. Enjoy!
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