First Timer’s Guide: The Amsterdam Coffeeshop How-To’s & Facts

It’s a known fact that other than the Red Light District, the city is famous for the Amsterdam coffeeshop experience — but above all, it is important to note that these two things do NOT define the city as a whole. Amsterdam definitely has a LOT more to offer; what with its rich culture, heritage, and history to name a few.

» READ: Top 10 Things To Do in Amsterdam!

Where to Stay in Amsterdam?

Come and check out my detailed post on the ‘Best Hotels in Amsterdam: From Cheap to Luxury Picks on Places to Stay’.

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But of course, it is not hard to admit that these two things add to the city’s charm that in turn, they become ‘wonders’ that are worthy to be witnessed when in this part of Europe.

So for this post, I will be sharing my experience in an Amsterdam coffeeshop as a first-timer, a newbie, a noob — or whatever you call it. I hope that with this, I can help answer some questions that are floating in your mind so you could get an idea about what it’s like, what you can do if you’re planning to try it, etc. etc.
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Amsterdam Coffeeshop

» What is an Amsterdam Coffeeshop?

In the Netherlands, a coffeeshop is an establishment where you can legally do soft drugs: buying and smoking weed or hash, eating “space cakes”, etc. (It is sometimes spelled as ‘coffee shop’, but it is usually without a space.)

At this point, you might be thinking, “Why is it called a coffeeshop when they don’t sell coffee?”

Well actually, they do — mainly cappuccinos or espressos and they might even serve teas, juices, soda, or no-drug snacks. But for the most part, they are called ‘coffeeshops’ because back when the policy of decriminalizing cannabis wasn’t so clear yet, this was the ‘cover name’ that was used by the shops who were selling hash and weed. But when it was officially decriminalized in 1976, the name just stuck.

“Then what if I want to go to a coffee shop that actually sells coffee or snacks and none of these soft drugs?” You can then go to either a café or a coffee house (koffiehuis); but, still be mindful that these two have different meanings as well…

Café – usually a casual restaurant or bar
Coffee House (Koffiehuis) – place that sells coffee, pastries, or light meals

So, simply put, if you ever want to go to a legit café then don’t go around asking for directions to the nearest ‘coffeeshop’.

» So is cannabis legal in the Netherlands?

This is actually a very complicated subject that if I try to explain it to you in detail, my post here will get veeeery lengthy. But to sum it up: NO. It’s technically still considered as an illegal thing, but not entirely punishable as long as you get it from licensed coffeeshop establishments (that are still under constant watch by the law).

What does it take for these Amsterdam coffeeshops to NOT be on the wrong side of the law?

They should only sell it in small quantities: not greater than 5 grams per person (so don’t buy more than this!)
They should never advertise
They should not sell hard drugs
They should not sell to any minor (those under the age of 18)
They should not be a disturbance to the public and should never be positioned near a school or playground

Why did the Dutch government decriminalize cannabis? It’s because they believe that total prohibition of marijuana will cause more problems than it solves, and somehow, they are correct in this belief. Apparently, their drug policy did result to lesser pot smoking problems in their population especially since they can control and regulate it. According to statistics, they have fewer drug problems over the years and as compared to other countries in the world.
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» Where to find a coffeeshop in Amsterdam?

EVERYWHERE. There are a LOT of them and it’s easy to identify one because they have the word ‘coffeeshop’ on their sign. They also usually have Rasta colors and designs, or if they don’t have those elements, they should have a green and white flag / sticker on their window that says ‘Coffee Shop’ (thereby licensing them as one; see how it looks like here).

TRIVIA: It is only in Amsterdam where they allow tourists to go inside coffeeshops. Apparently, the rest of the Netherlands’ coffeeshops require their customers to have Dutch residency — this was done in an aim of minimizing or stopping the ‘drug tourism’ throughout the country.

What’s the best coffeeshop in Amsterdam? I did my research and one of the most popular coffeeshops in the city that had great reviews was Abraxas. Other popular ones were named Baba, Barney’s, Dampkring, and Amnesia — we passed by all these Amsterdam coffeeshops while roaming around the city, but after taking a look at each shop, it was only Abraxas that really convinced us to go in because they had such a ‘chill’ ambiance going on. Plus, the crowd looked alright. Later on, we even discovered that they even have such friendly staff!

Anyway, I finally found out how weed smelled like when smoked! (The smell is naturally wafting out of these shops anyways).

So how does it smell like? Well… it doesn’t compare to anything at all so it’s a bit hard to say, but the closest description that I can get to is that it smelled like some sort of ‘mildly pungent’ and earthy herb. It was weird… but it totally doesn’t smell like cigarettes or tobacco at all; it was a lot better or more refreshing.

Somehow, I’m quite glad that I have discovered this smell so that when I have kids in the future, I can easily identify the marijuana and catch them for it! LOL

By the way, it’s possible to get high from second-hand marijuana smoke if you keep hanging out or walking around these places; but don’t worry, if you’re going to take a drug test in the near future, it’s highly unlikely that you’ll fail just from having experienced second hand marijuana smoke. It’s certainly NOT health-alarming at all either.
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» My Abraxas Amsterdam Coffeeshop Experience

You might be wondering about why I want to try this out, and well… the answer is pretty simple and obvious: because it’s only in Amsterdam where I can legally try cannabis — an illegal thing in my hometown and almost everywhere! So: bucket list = done!
Abraxas Coffeeshop Amsterdam
Now first off, can I just say? I LOVED the atmosphere of Abraxas. I’m not really into the whole ‘hippie’ thing but the ‘hippie’ vibe in this place drew me in — it was just so laid-back and relaxed. It had a lot of couches and big tables; and they even have board games too! And what I especially loved the most: they have great mellow music playing. Unlike the majority of the coffeeshops in Amsterdam, they do NOT play ear-splitting techno music or chart hits.

But actually, before I go on, I should be discussing first how I got here because that part was interesting. So, Abraxas has two locations in the city center and we went to the branch located at Jonge Roelenstraat.

To go to this branch, you have to walk into a small alley which looked kind of creepy at first (especially since it was already nightfall when we decided to drop by) but once we stepped inside, we realized that there wasn’t really anything to be creeped out about. After all, when we got a good look at the alley, there were ample surrounding shops manned by smiling people who were just minding their own business.

So back inside, there was this guy who greeted us with a smile. We told him how we were first timers and that we would appreciate if he could tell us more about their stuff. In reply he said, “Don’t worry, it’s cool, it’s cool.”

I guess he gets this quite a lot.

TRIVIA: Not a lot of local Dutch people smoke weed nor do they frequent these coffeeshops. In all actuality, it’s mainly just tourists who flock these establishments.

After the introductions, we were about to hand over our IDs when he went: “No need!” I guess… we looked old enough (lol) because he asked for IDs from the group of people who were standing in line before us.

By the way, in other establishments like Baba, I noticed that they have a ‘bouncer’ sitting outside who asks for the IDs of people before letting them in).

He then asked us if we wanted to try smoking but I told him that I am a non-smoker (I love you lungs), so he directed us to the other counter saying that we can try out their “space cakes” instead. It was a woman who was handling this side of the shop and she was also friendly enough to assist us as she showed us these special brownies.

Space Cakes

At this point I was very excited and a bit scared.
I was all: AH SH*T! IT’S HERE. I’M FINALLY GOING TO TRY IT!

But to cut the story (drama) short, we only tried one brownie and it was enough for the both of us — it costs € 5.40 a piece. The taste by the way is just like a brownie, but it was a bit dry and you will detect that distinct weird taste which came from the hash. Now this was my first time to get high so I don’t know if it was the maximum or minimum level, but well… I don’t really care because after everything, I had so! Much! Fun!

Mind you, the experience was like how I expected it to be.

My senses were heightened (a LOT). I felt and sensed everything around me in such an intense manner.
My reaction time was in slow motion. It was insanely funny.
I felt very relaxed and I talked about nonsensical things sometimes. Okay, maybe most of the time.
The things or images that I see seem to be alive as if they’re almost 3D-like.
Music sounded better and clearer. AWESOME.
Eeverything—literally almost everything—was funny to me!
I kept giggling a lot that night. I think I actually had the bigger half of the brownie so I don’t think my companion was as high as I was).
I also felt a bit light-headed, as if I was drunk but it was the better kind of being drunk.
And of course: THE DESIRE FOR FOOD. (The munchies!)
Food just tasted soooooo good (and I know that the fries in Amsterdam didn’t taste as good as Belgian fries).

Simply put: it was amazing. And thankfully enough, the next morning, I didn’t have such a groggy feeling.

Will I try it again? Probably not. I think for this kind of ‘fun’, once is enough. Too much of a good thing makes it lose its ‘magic’ right? And besides, the stoner road isn’t for me.

Obviously, I haven’t tried ‘smoking pot’ (pipe, bong, joint, etc.) so I won’t be able to advise you on that one. But should you ever decide on this kind, make sure to ask for assistance and instructions from the staff of the Amsterdam coffeeshop. They will be more than happy to assist you.

So are you excited to try this out? Great! But hey, before you go, please look first at the tips that I’ll be listing below. They’re very important to know so you don’t overdo this coffeeshop experience!
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» Important & Helpful Amsterdam Coffeeshop Tips

Go with a friend. It’s better to have someone with you especially if it’s your first time. Besides, sharing the experience with someone you know and trust is a lot more fun than being high on your own. (Of course, make sure you’re both NOT minors, okay!) On second thought though, the best scenario is to have at least one friend who had tried it before (and knows how their body will respond to it) or who is not planning to try it out—so that you have one ‘sober’ friend to look over you guys.
Don’t be shy! Feel free to ask, ask, ask! Every single one of these coffeeshops expect newbies to their establishments, and like I’ve already said: they’ll be more than happy to answer your questions so don’t be afraid to ask! It’s ‘needed’ for you to do so, especially since most of the time, their menu will have very weird names on it like ‘White Widow’ and ‘Super Skunk’—which I won’t be able to advise you on because I have no idea what those are at all. So just ask, okay?
Smoke a joint if you want to blend in. It’s said that to really be like the locals, opt to try a joint rather than the bongs, pipes, and vaporizers. A typical Amsterdam coffeshop provides free rolling papers and tips but if you have no idea at all on how to roll, don’t worry because they also have pre-rolled joints too. Though, if you value and love your lungs like I do, there are other options for you:
- Space Food – which is like what I’ve tried above (the hash brownies); these are usually cakes, pastries, cookies and even drinks that have been mixed with cannabis
- Vaporizers – functions like the electronic cigarettes; they take away the toxic substance on the cannabis and delivers it in vapor form
Don’t buy too much! It’s important to buy small quantities. For example, if there are two of you, you don’t need to buy 2 space cakes or 2 joints in one go. As a first-timer, you certainly need to start off small especially since you don’t know yet how your body will react to it. Or if you’ve had experience before, be mindful that cannabis products in Amsterdam are said to be quite strong.
Don’t underestimate the space food. Just don’t. You have to understand that the effects of cannabis when eaten is MUCH stronger than when smoked. It’s very common for people to eat, for example, a hash brownie and then quickly grow impatient as they assume that it could have been very weak or did not contain any cannabis at all. Please DON’T think this way please. It’s true that after eating it you won’t feel the effects kick in instantly because the truth is: it takes time. And when it does kick in, you’ll be surprised! So don’t get impatient. It is said that:
- - If you’ve had a full stomach beforehand – it could take up to 2 hours before you fully feel the ‘high’
  - If you’ve had an empty stomach beforehand – you could already start to feel ‘high’ after 30 minutes or an hour (but take note: it’s best to have a full stomach than an empty one when getting high).
For my case, it took me 1/2 hours before I started to feel the change. (They said that the ‘high’ usually lasts for about 4 hours). If you’re planning on drinking alcohol after eating a space cake, do it with caution since it could possibly make you pass out — from happiness. Kidding aside, this is because it will be the first time you’re doing it and your body might not be able to handle it at all.

If you consumed too much cannabis… don’t panic! It can be easily remedied by eating a solid meal, having some fresh air, or by taking a nap. You’ll know when you had over-consumption when you start feeling dizzy, nauseous and anxious.
- Don’t go roaming around the city if you start to feel queasy, stay in one place until you start to feel better. Nevertheless, it seems that coffeeshops encounter these problems almost all of the time and they know how to handle someone who is in such a situation. But hey… try to NOT be that person who gets too excited or stubborn. There are already a lot of tourists in Amsterdam who make a fool of themselves, and it can be very embarrassing. It can be a funny story in the future, but the hassle it gives your friends or the shop owner will remain in your conscience.
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» Other F.A.Q.s

∙∙∙ What is the difference between marijuana and hash?
There isn’t that much difference. We all know marijuana (also called as cannabis, weed, pot, dope, grass, ganja, etc.), so the only thing left to describe is hash. Hash is basically from the same plant, but it is concentrated, purified, and compressed. If marijuana is usually green and fluffy, hash is brown and in blocks. There’s not much difference on the ‘high’ that it gives, but some say that hash is stronger because it has more THC (the main ingredient in cannabis that’s also used as an ingredient in medicines).

∙∙∙ Can I smoke marijuana outside the Amsterdam coffeeshops? Like in hotels, etc.?
Smoking in public areas is NOT allowed in the Netherlands, so basically you shouldn’t smoke anywhere outside these coffeeshops except for a few places like hotels, bars, and clubs—provided that you check in with them first if it’s allowed. But of course, if you’re just going to consume space food, you can eat it wherever and whenever you like.

∙∙∙ Can I buy weed from a different Amsterdam coffeeshop and then smoke it in another coffee shop?
Yes, you could. But as a common courtesy, at least try to buy something (like a drink) while you are using the other establishment.
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Overall

Amsterdam Coffeeshop

It’s entirely up to you if you want to try a coffeeshop or not, but if you’re like me who just wants to experience it at least once before you die (again: bucket list!) then by all means, do so! There’s nothing embarrassing or wrong about it, especially since in this part of the world, it’s allowed and legal.

Plus, you would even see normal people like you who are trying it out for fun (and for laughs!) — so why not? Just keep safe, know your limits and you should be fine. Enjoy!

How about you?