Cannabis and coffeeshops in Amsterdam (Tourist guide)
In coffeeshops in Amsterdam you can buy moderate amounts of hash and weed, which can be enjoyed with a cup of tea. On this page you can find out how the Dutch policies regarding soft drugs work. Every year millions of tourists come to the Netherlands for its liberal policies regarding soft drugs. And they find that in between enjoying the scenic canals of Amsterdam, the vibrant nightlife and the master painters at the Dutch museums, there is always time to smoke.
What tourists should know about coffeeshops
The terminology
In The Netherlands you could get confused by the terminology surrounding coffeeshops, a coffee house and cafés. So keep the following in mind: A café, a lunchroom, a coffee house, a bar and a pub are establishment where drinks and some prepared food can be bought. A coffeeshop is an establishment that is allowed to sell cannabis for personal consumption. Although in most coffeeshops it is also possible to get non-alcoholic drinks, such as coffee and tea.
In coffeeshops in Amsterdam you can often find cannabis, weed, marijuana and hash on the menu. These terms can be quite confusing, so let us explain it a bit. The plant where all these things come from is the cannabis plant. Weed consists of the crumbled and dried leaves and flower bulbs of the cannabis plant. Weed is also often called marijuana or cannabis. So the term cannabis can actually refer to multiple things. Weed is the stereotypical green stuff you always see in movies.
Hash is the resin of the cannabis plant. It comes from the flower bulbs of the cannabis plant. Hash looks a bit like clay.
Quality of the coffeeshops in Amsterdam
According to a research from 2008 by the Amsterdams Tourisme en Congres Bureau 23,4% of the tourists in Amsterdam visited a coffeeshop. So a lot of tourists specifically go to Amsterdam to smoke cannabis in one of the most charming and liberal cities of Europe.
The quality of the cannabis that is sold varies widely, but it tends to be relatively high compared to cannabis from other countries. Dutch weed, also called Nederwiet, contains levels of THC of about 18% on average, while this is about 8% in other countries. Dutch hash, also known as Nederhasj, contains levels of THC, which is the active component of cannabis, of about 33%, while this is about 19% in other countries. This means that the cannabis could be stronger than tourists are used to, as the effects per gram could be a lot higher.
Sometimes cannabis is processed into food, like in space cakes or pot brownies. People do not instantly feel the effects of cannabis in their food. So tourists sometimes take strong doses of cannabis while waiting for the effects to occur. Tourists who decide to buy a cannabis product should ask the retailer for information on how to use it safely and in moderation.
The drug laws of the Netherlands
The purchasing, possession and use of cannabis is allowed in The Netherlands on the condition that it’s only for personal use. Be aware that possession of more than 5 grams of cannabis is illegal and punishable. It is also not allowed to drive under the influence of soft drugs like cannabis or alcohol.
The coffeeshops are allowed to sell cannabis under some restrictions. They risk closure if they sell quantities of softdrugs greater than 5 grams per transaction, if they sell soft drugs to anyone under the age of 18, if they advertise themselves or their menu, and if they sell alcohol or hard drugs.
In some municipalities of the Netherlands, near the borders of Germany and Belgium, tourists cannot purchase cannabis products at coffee shops. This is done to reduce drug trafficking to other countries. In Amsterdam these restrictions do not apply, so tourists are allowed to enter and buy cannabis at a coffee shop, but they do need to be able to identify themselves.
The Dutch laws about cannabis are quite contradictory, as coffee shops are allowed to sell cannabis, people are allowed to grow a limited amount of plants for personal use, but the mass production or import of cannabis is illegal in The Netherlands. Even supplying the stores that are allowed to sell them is quite questionable. This is because international treaties and international pressure prevent further liberalization of the Dutch laws. It is illegal for travelers to carry cannabis over the border.
In the Netherlands it is not allowed to smoke tobacco in most public places with a roof and employees. This includes under the roof of train stations, bars, restaurants and coffee shops. It is currently still hotly debated whether coffeeshops can have special smoking areas or not. That’s why people often smoke weed and tobacco on the terrace of establishments.
Locating coffeeshops on the map of Amsterdam
Amsterdam has three major nightlife centers where you can also find some of the biggest and tourist-friendly coffeeshops of Amsterdam. These are the Leidseplein (Leidse Square), Rembrandtplein (Rembrandt Square) and to a lesser extend the red light district (De Wallen). The party and nightlife activities of Amsterdam tend to revolve around these three areas and you can expect big name coffee shops there.
In Amsterdam there are over 200 coffeeshops spread out over the city, which you can recognize by the green/white license sticker they have on the window. That way you can be sure to always receive quality cannabis.
Coffeeshops are not allowed to advertise and at Meet The Cities we cannot promote any coffeeshops, but you can hardly miss the vibrantly colored coffeeshops across the city. The Netherlands has long been at the forefront of introducing liberal freedoms that have spread across the world. And for centuries people from across the world have gone to the Netherlands to enjoy those freedoms. Coffeeshops are a symbol of this. So it comes as no surprise that over the years coffeeshops have become part of the identity of Amsterdam. And chances are they will be around for a long time, in the most tolerant city of the Europe.