Amsterdam coffeeshops
Amsterdam’s 2008 no-smoking law and you
Now that the July 2008 smoking ban has officially begun, it’s time to sort out exactly what it means for visitors who aren’t able to keep up with the specifics on the ground. The July 1, 2008 law is for the entire Netherlands and specifically protects employees from having to work in an area where tobacco is smoked. There had been a voluntary ban by many businesses prior to this, but as of now all businesses must comply. Restaurants and bars were the major holdouts from the voluntary ban, so as of midnight on June 30, 2008, many tobacco enthusiasts symbolically headed outside to begin their new smoking lives.
Bars and restaurants
As of now, the Netherlands has joined most other large Western nations in banning indoor cigarette smoking in public places. Smokers in every other country before were none too happy about the new laws, but in every case we are aware of they’ve adapted simply by taking occasional cigarette breaks just outside a door. The out-front smokers tend to grumble, but they also tend to bond together in a new social environment. Some places in other countries have adapted even further by opening patio areas out front or even in back, but this option isn’t as viable in the Netherlands and particularly Amsterdam since there just isn’t available space in most places.
Date: July 1st, 2008 |
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How will Amsterdam’s new no-smoking laws affect the coffee shops?
You may have heard that as of July 1, 2008, Amsterdam is following in the footsteps of cities all over the world in banning cigarette smoking in public places. Some alarmists have spread false rumors that this law will shut down Amsterdam’s coffeeshops, but this isn’t true (we’ll get you for this, alarmists!!!). As of late April 2008, the exact way this law will be interpreted for the coffeeshops is still a bit unclear, but there is zero chance this will close them down.
I’ve just spoken to a few people at different …
Date: April 26th, 2008 |
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Amsterdam Coffeeshops FAQ - Finding and buying space cakes
This is part of an Amsterdam Coffeeshops FAQ series
>>go to the main Amsterdam Coffeeshops FAQ page
>>go to the main Amsterdam Coffeeshops overview page
So how do I know how strong each item is?
Again, the people in the shops who sell them are usually extremely honest about this. One shop might sell slices of cake that are really strong, and a place down the block might sell a slice that is only about half that strong. Just ask the person behind the counter and they’ll tell you how theirs tend to stack up against others in the city.
Smaller people or first-timers can often feel great with half a slice, or with one of the cookies that exist just so each place has different strengths available. As a rule, most men do well with a full one of the largest thing they have, and most women do well with a small or medium item, but of course, your mileage may vary.
Date: January 31st, 2008 |
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Amsterdam Coffeeshops FAQ - Edible marijuana, space cakes, pot brownies
This is part of an Amsterdam Coffeeshops FAQ series
>>go to the main Amsterdam Coffeeshops FAQ page
>>go to the main Amsterdam Coffeeshops overview page
What about eating it, like in pot brownies?
Great idea! In Amsterdam they sell all sorts of cannabis edibles under the thinly veiled codename ‘space cakes’ or ‘space cookies’ or ‘space muffins’ or whatever. They are only sold at coffeeshops and they are noticeably more expensive than normal dessert items, so there is almost no chance of getting one accidentally. A few places even sell ‘space tea’ or other variations. All these things will get you to the same place, but the strength of each can be wildly different so it’s important that you know exactly what you are ordering and eating.
Can you taste the weed or hash in space cakes?
Yes, you usually can taste something unusual, but it’s not an unpleasant taste at all. The most common space cakes are poppy seed flavored, and that doesn’t mask the weed or hash too much. If you get a chocolate brownie or cookie you might not taste it at all.
Date: January 29th, 2008 |
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Amsterdam Coffeeshops FAQ - Joints in Amsterdam
This is part of an Amsterdam Coffeeshops FAQ series
>>go to the main Amsterdam Coffeeshops FAQ page
>>go to the main Amsterdam Coffeeshops overview page
Do most people smoke joints in coffeeshops?
Yes, although this is probably a bigger subject than you realized. Most locals and visitors from elsewhere in Europe smoke one kind of joint and visitors from North America and most of the rest of the world smoke a completely different kind of joint. It’s interesting that this rule applies nearly 100% of the time so the crowd is usually very easy to sort out just by looking at their joints.
European-style joints – These “Euro-joints” (sometimes called “spliffs”) are usually much larger than the other style, and are mixed with more tobacco than cannabis. They are cone-shaped and the pointy end is completed with what is they call a “tip.” Usually a cigarette or two are broken up and that tobacco is combined with weed or hash to create the Euro-joint.
Rest of the world-style joints – These “skinny-joints” always consist of weed rather than hash, and nothing else is mixed in. They are typically long and thin, and no tip is used. When the joint gets down near the end, what’s left is referred to as a roach, which becomes very tricky to finish off completely.
Date: January 27th, 2008 |
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Space cakes: A 5-hour mental party
This would probably be a better world if all humans were born with an aversion to sucking smoke into our lungs that rivaled our aversion to jamming sharp objects into our eyeballs. But for one reason or another, many of us have willingly started down the path of filling our chest cavity with hot smoke. Amsterdam is known the world around for its coffee shops, where anyone 18 and over can legally buy small quantities of marijuana or hashish and then smoke it right there while enjoying a beverage. But not everyone knows that many of these same Amsterdam coffee shops sell “space cakes,” which are more commonly known as pot brownies or hash brownies elsewhere.
If you are one of the many visitors to Amsterdam who are curious about the coffee shop phenomenon, but you aren’t crazy about the idea of coughing for 15 straight minutes as you sort out how to get high by smoking, these space cakes are the answer. They are legal, cheap, and delicious.
Another important thing about Amsterdam that makes them ideal is you won’t be driving when you are here. Only the craziest visitor would dream of renting a car while in this city, or even driving around town in a car you rented elsewhere. Nope, this is a city dominated by pedestrians and bicyclists, but the public transportation in Amsterdam is outstanding as well, so the danger of doing something really irresponsible to yourself or someone else is almost zero.
What is a space cake?
Date: May 18th, 2008 |
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Amsterdam Coffeeshops FAQ - Everything you need to know and more
The general Amsterdam coffeeshops scene is covered on another page, but this FAQ should be useful to those considering they first “trip” to Amsterdam, or perhaps their first trip here in a while. Many people are intrigued when they first hear that the city has around 150 coffee shops, which operate for the sole purpose of selling marijuana and hashish, and letting people smoke it right there.
The first time you go the whole process can be a bit mysterious and intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. The following topics should …
Date: February 1st, 2008 |
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Amsterdam Coffeeshops FAQ - Dangers of space cakes
This is part of an Amsterdam Coffeeshops FAQ series
>>go to the main Amsterdam Coffeeshops FAQ page
>>go to the main Amsterdam Coffeeshops overview page
So there must be hazards involved with eating space cakes, right?
Yes, definitely. These can be far more dangerous than just smoking for a few reasons and this cannot be stressed enough. Firstly, since smoking weed gets you high within a minute or so, we all have a built-in protection from overdosing in a harmful way. Nearly all of us will completely forget that we are even smoking once we get to a certain highness level, so it’s like an automatic shut-off valve. If you are sitting there pondering whether to take another toke or not, you really aren’t all that high. And if you ARE all that high, you’ll be thinking about how loud the music suddenly sounds in this coffeeshop, or how the girl sitting at the next table would look a lot more like Jessica Alba if she gave you permission to remold some of her facial features.
But since space cakes always take a long time to hit you, overdosing is not only possible, it’s quite easy. It’s very common for people to eat one and then quickly grow impatient assuming the thing was really weak or contained no cannabis at all, only to consume another one or two with the hopes of hurrying things up or making sure a proper high is achieved. This can be disastrous when the first one really kicks in just a bit later, and then the other one or two kick in after that.
I don’t want to make this seem more dangerous than it really is though. These things can be extremely fun, and I highly recommend them, especially for people who are curious about getting high but who have problems with the whole smoking side of things. Put very simply: ask the person at the shop about how strong each space item is, and then consume only the amount they recommend for you. Wait a minimum of two hours from when you eat the space cake before you consider having another one or part of another one, and you’ll be totally fine.
Date: January 30th, 2008 |
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Amsterdam Coffeeshops FAQ - Bongs, pipes, and vaporizers
This is part of an Amsterdam Coffeeshops FAQ series
>>go to the main Amsterdam Coffeeshops FAQ page
>>go to the main Amsterdam Coffeeshops overview page
Any chance of finding a bong or water pipe to use?
Yes. Most coffeeshops actually have a small selection of bongs, which are available for free use by their customers. Most places ask you to leave a driver’s license or some other collateral that prevents you from walking off with the thing, but aside from that they are free to use while you are there. Some places have just a couple of bongs, and other places have a dozen or more.
Strangely enough, not many people actually take advantage of these house bongs. It could be that many people don’t know they are there and free to use, or perhaps some people have hygiene concerns over putting their lips in or on a public device.
If you are a bong smoker at home, don’t feel shy about asking about the house bongs, even if you also ask for a napkin to wipe the thing down completely before you use it.
Date: January 28th, 2008 |
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Amsterdam Coffeeshops FAQ - Choosing a coffeeshop, and overdoing it
This is part of an Amsterdam Coffeeshops FAQ series
>>go to the main Amsterdam Coffeeshops FAQ page
>>go to the main Amsterdam Coffeeshops overview page
Which is the best coffeeshop?
I have my personal favorites, but a big part of the fun is walking around discovering them for yourself. It’s a lot like asking which is the best bar in your hometown. You have your favorite because you like the music or decorations or layout or location, but if everyone decided it was the best bar it would always be so packed that you’d find a new hangout anyway.
The music in most of them tends to be pretty consistent from one day to the next. A shop called Baba plays trance and vocal house music all day every day, and I love that stuff so I love that place. You might hate trance and you might be happier in a shop that plays a lot of reggae or classic rock or whatever. My best advice is to try out several places as early in your stay as possible. You’ll soon find your own favorites.
I’ll be covering individual coffeeshop reviews elsewhere in the near future. For the moment you can see my Top 5 Amsterdam coffeeshops.
Which coffeeshop sells the strongest weed?
Date: January 26th, 2008 |
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