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Below, you'll find extensive information on leading
Amsterdam coffee shop articles and products to help you on your way
to success.
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. |
