The
Amsterdam Coffee Shop
The term “coffeeshop” was first
created by the Dutch habit of running words together, and since its
application, it has become synonymous with a special kind of coffee
shop. As you may have thought, the Amsterdam coffee shops do sell
coffee and have one or more table to sit and drink it, but much to
your surprise, the primary commodity in the Amsterdam coffee shops
is cannabis, the botanical name for the plant from which marijuana
comes. They are now licensed by the local council and subject to
regulation; however, a strict minimum age of 18 is enforced.
How the Amsterdam Coffee Shops Work
In Amsterdam, the coffee shops are
not allowed to advertise, thus you won’t see a big sign saying
“Marijuana for Sale”. So, if you don’t see the dealer’s booth,
simply go up to the bar and ask to see the menu. You will be
presented with a list of the different grasses and hashes available
at a range of prices.
In most of the Amsterdam coffee
shops, the cannabis is sold by weight, but there are some that sold
it by value. Where it is sold by weight, the prices for the
cannabis are usually per gram. There are about 28 grams in an
ounce, but there are still other Amsterdam coffee shops that
actually sell quarters and eights if you want. On the other hand,
where it is sold by value, the menu will present the quantity, in
grams, that you’ll get of each variety for a fixed amount of 20
euros, for example.
The Usual Prices
Being a primary commodity in most
Amsterdam coffee shops, the prices of cannabis generally vary
according to the location and type of the Amsterdam coffee shop.
The heart of the city, the Amsterdam coffee shops sell the cannabis
with prices that tend to be a little higher especially in places
that cater for tourists. That involves both the connoisseur’s shops
and rip-off joints. It is also worth noting that the Amsterdam
coffee shops are prohibited to promote or advertise their wares and
most have removed their menus from their web sites.
The Question on Legality
As you may know, the legal situation
of Amsterdam coffee shops selling cannabis is quite complicated.
International treaties prohibit the Netherlands from legalizing
cannabis, even if they wanted to. However, the possession of a
small quantity is considered to be a misdemeanor rather than a
criminal offence.
Many of the people in Amsterdam are
used to a certain practice in which the possession of up to 30 grams
of cannabis is permitted. The people are allowed to purchase five
grams at a time, though, so you could be asked to explain if you are
carrying more than five grams. But, along with these regulations,
the law prohibits the Amsterdam coffee shops from advertising,
exporting outside of the Netherlands, using hard drugs, an excess of
five grams, an excess of the maximum of 500 grams of stock, and
sales to under 18 years of age. Incidentally, the 500 gram stock
rule which as long been maintained by the Amsterdam coffee shops, is
routinely broken by the busier shops. It is now used by the
authorities as pretence for occasional random raids to keep an eye
on them.
Back to
Amsterdam
