Amsterdam coffeeshops FAQ - Where you can smoke and where you can’t

This is part of an Amsterdam Coffeeshops FAQ series

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Double Reggae coffeeshop

Can I buy weed one place and smoke it in another coffeeshop?

Yes, definitely. The only trick here is that it’s customary to order something, like coffee or tea, while you are using up some of their space. As long as you do that it’s perfectly acceptable to bring your own stash in and smoke it in a different coffeeshop. You can even grab the free rolling papers or ask to use one of their water pipes as long as you order something soon after entering. Going on a coffeeshop-crawl is one of the great joys of visiting Amsterdam, so by all means, move around all you want.

Can I smoke weed elsewhere in Amsterdam?

Yes, but it’s more restricted than some people realize. Basically, you can’t or shouldn’t smoke anywhere outside of the coffeeshops, but with a few exceptions:

Hotels/hostels

Many hotels and hostels have no-smoking rooms or are no-smoking altogether. If you want to smoke in your room be sure to book into a place that allows it. Since this is such a common issue in Amsterdam, nearly all places that ban smoking will make a big deal of it as part of their listing on whatever website you book with. If smoking isn’t mentioned then chances are it will be fine, but only inside your room with the door closed.

Bars

Since Amsterdam banned coffeeshops from selling booze in April of 2007, quite a few “smokers’ bars” have popped up. The coffeeshop you buy your weed from should be able to tell you where you can find a place where you are welcome to smoke while drinking. Most other bars will ask you to put it out right away if you are bold enough to try. It seems crazy, but you can be sitting in the middle of 10 people who are all smoking cigarettes and the bartenders will race over and insist you put your little joint out right away.

It’s common in some bars that near the end of the evening the rules will relax, and sometimes even the staff will join in. Definitely ask before sparking up though.

Concert smoke Nightclubs, discos, and concerts

You can usually get away with smoking a bit discreetly in these places, but it depends on the individual place. You should be fine at a big concert or a big nightclub like Melkweg or Paradiso, but a smaller or more posh place might ask you to stop. Just look around to see if anyone else is doing it before you light up. There will be a majority of locals at all of these kinds of places, so if it’s okay you’ll probably smell it before you can see it.

Out on the street

You can definitely smoke while walking around town, but people will look down upon you and if a policeman sees you they will probably tell you to put it out and never do it again. You won’t be arrested, but you’ll be embarrassed, and doing this really disrespects your otherwise-tolerant hosts. But walking around the empty streets late at night you should be okay if you can’t wait until you get to the next place.

Vondelpark Parks

Vondelpark in particular is huge and often filled with people relaxing anyway they can if the weather is good. As long as you aren’t upwind of other people you should be okay, but this is like the topic just above. You can do it, but be courteous and keep to yourself if you smoke.

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