Coffee Shops in Amsterdam

Coffeeshops (almost always written as one word) are Amsterdam's other famous institution, alongside the Red Light District. You can still walk into one, buy a small amount of marijuana or hash and smoke it right there. What has changed since this page was first written is almost everything around that: who's technically allowed to buy, where you can light up, and what you can mix it with.

This page is the overview. For the details, our Amsterdam coffeeshops FAQ goes deep, including how to buy in a coffeeshop, choosing one (and overdoing it) and where you can and can't smoke.

The rules in 30 seconds

• Cannabis is tolerated, not legal. Coffeeshops that follow the rules aren't prosecuted.
• You must be 18 or older and carry ID. Expect to be carded at the door.
• Shops can sell up to 5 grams per transaction.
• Tourists can still buy in Amsterdam as of 2026.
• No tobacco inside, and no smoking cannabis on the street in the Red Light District or around Dam Square.

Why it's tolerated, not legal

Dutch law still treats selling cannabis as an offense. Under the national toleration policy, the Public Prosecution Service simply doesn't prosecute coffeeshops that stick to strict criteria: no sales to minors, no more than 5 grams in a single transaction, no hard drugs and no advertising. The shop's own stock and supply chain sit in a legal gray zone, which is why the Dutch have spent years experimenting with regulated growing in other cities.

Amsterdam has roughly 165 coffeeshops, down from about 350 in 1999, which is still about a third of the national total, according to city figures reported by The Border. The biggest cluster is around Centraal Station and the Red Light District, but there are shops in residential neighborhoods all over town, and many locals prefer those.

Can tourists still buy?

Yes, in Amsterdam. Since 2013 a national rule has said coffeeshops should only serve residents of the Netherlands, and cities like Maastricht enforce it. Amsterdam never did. The city floated a tourist ban for years, and after the March 2026 local elections the new city government dropped it again on 3 June 2026, arguing it would push visitors to street dealers. It chose to raise the tourist tax instead.

That could change with a future council, so check the news before a trip. And never buy from anyone who approaches you on the street. What they sell is often fake, or worse.

Finding a coffeeshop

Finding one is easy. Names and decor usually give it away, and licensed shops display the city's green and white numbered sticker in the window. Coffeeshops aren't allowed to advertise, so you won't see signs shouting about weed.

Don't confuse a coffeeshop with a koffiehuis or café, which sells coffee, or with a brown café, the city's classic wood-paneled pubs. The "brown" comes from a century of tobacco-stained walls, not from anything you can buy there. Lighting a joint in one will get you thrown out.

Inside, you'll usually order from a menu at a counter, often separate from where drinks are served. Pre-rolled joints are common, and so is borrowing a bong or buying papers to roll your own. Coffeeshops don't serve alcohol, so the drinks are coffee, tea, juice and soft drinks. Many sell space cakes and other edibles, which hit much harder and later than smoking. Read our warning on the dangers of space cakes before you try one.

Where you can smoke, and where you can't

Amsterdam's reputation makes people think they can smoke anywhere. They can't, and the rules have tightened.

• Inside coffeeshops: yes, but pure cannabis only. The Dutch indoor smoking ban covers tobacco, and designated smoking rooms have been banned in all sectors since 1 January 2022, so the glass-walled tobacco rooms some shops built after 2008 are gone. Most Europeans mix cannabis with tobacco, so ask about tobacco-free options.
• On a coffeeshop's terrace: generally allowed. Once you step off the shop's property, put it out.
• In the street in the Red Light District, on Dam Square, Damrak and Nieuwmarkt: no. Since 25 May 2023, smoking cannabis there can get you a 100 euro fine from police or city enforcement officers.
• Elsewhere in public: not banned everywhere, but locals don't appreciate it, and a few other spots have local bans. Be discreet or don't.
• In bars and restaurants: no. These are separate businesses and won't tolerate it.
• In your hotel: only if the hotel allows it, and most don't. Ask first, or you may pay a cleaning fee.

Other things to know

Magic mushrooms are banned, truffles aren't. Fresh psilocybin mushrooms have been illegal in the Netherlands since December 2008. "Smartshops" still sell magic truffles, which the ban didn't cover. Our other recreational drugs FAQ explains what's what, and why buying hard drugs on the street is a terrible idea.

Start slow. Dutch cannabis and hash are strong, and ice-o-lator hash stronger still. Staff will point you to milder options if you ask, and the basics FAQ covers etiquette for first-timers.

The museum. The Hash Marihuana & Hemp Museum on Oudezijds Achterburgwal in the Red Light District is the city's cannabis museum, and it's better than you'd expect. Our review of the museum has more.

Arriving by plane? See the closest coffeeshops to the airport and Centraal Station, and read up on drugs in Amsterdam generally.

FAQ

How much cannabis can I buy?

Up to 5 grams per transaction. Buying more than that in one go isn't allowed, and you shouldn't try to take any across a border, including to Belgium or Germany.

Can I smoke weed in the street in Amsterdam?

Not in the Red Light District, on Dam Square, Damrak or Nieuwmarkt, where it carries a 100 euro fine. Elsewhere it's frowned on, so the safest places are inside or on the terrace of a coffeeshop.

Do I need ID to enter a coffeeshop?

Yes. You must be 18 or older, and door staff check. Bring your passport or national ID card.

Can I drink alcohol in a coffeeshop?

No. Coffeeshops don't sell alcohol. If you want a beer, go to a bar, and leave the joint behind.