Smoking in Amsterdam

Amsterdam is a beautiful city, and whether you're coming to tour, chill, or party hard, this is the place to be. But what makes Amsterdam so special is the weed. On almost every street getting closer to the center of the city, there is a coffee shop where you can purchase and smoke your weed, and it's perfectly normal! But there are a few things you should know before heading out to Amsterdam and getting stoned.

Be prepared.

Of course, if you are younger or look on the younger side, you will want to have some sort of ID ready to show as they are very strict about the over 18 law. You may also want to buy your own grinder and lighter as the ones in the coffee shops are more expensive than ones in regular shops.

Most coffee shops have a rather large selection of weed—hash, pre-rolled, etc.—so it's best to look at the menu before you go up to order so you aren't holding anything up.

Buy! Buy! Buy!

In a lot of places, you need to buy a drink as well as something to smoke if you want to stay there and hangout. If you are on a budget and don't want to spend three euros on a soda every time you go out, there are smoking lounges that just sell weed, thus eliminating the need to buy a drink. Or you can just buy your weed and smoke it outside, or in your accommodation if it has a smoking room.

Smoking Rooms

Smoking, in general, is very common in Holland, as well as many other surrounding areas. So it is normal for a lot of places to have designated rooms for smoking. But you have to be aware of the rules of the house because some places that allow weed to be smoked do not allow tobacco, and vice versa. So if you are also a tobacco user it's something to be aware of. And it would be beneficial to find tobacco-free lounges for non-tobacco users who would rather not be in a room with tobacco smoke.

Methods of Smoking

Most people in Amsterdam smoke joints, and most coffee shops will have free rolling papers and filters you can use if you don't have any. But as you know, there are many different ways to smoke, and depending on which shop you go to, you can usually borrow some sort of smoking device, whether it's a bong, a volcano, or just a pipe. If you're more of a bong user, most souvenir shops sell many different sized bongs, including small travel-sized ones you can slip into your pocket.

Strains

If you're not familiar with many strains, here are a few tips for deciding which strain to buy.

Of course, part of the fun is trying a bunch of different strains and seeing which you like best. But it never hurts to have a starting point. If you're looking for something on the cheaper side, you will notice a few recurring strains such as purple power, going for seven euro a gram and Jamaican at four euro a gram. Purple power has a beautiful lavender aroma, and is a very dark purple, but isn't the most potent high. Jamaican is very dark and very cheap; it's also a very weak strain, which accounts for the cheapness.

If you're looking for something more on the average side, you have strains like amnesia haze or silver haze, both sativa and going for nine to 12 euro a gram for a very spacey high. You also have some stronger indica in the same price range such as gorilla glue and cheese. Gorilla glue is a very heavy hitting high, but still very enjoyable. Cheese gets its name from its almost cheesy aroma—definitely not the best smelling, but a very nice high none the less.

Safety

Make sure when you're coming home from a night on the town to double check for all your belongings as Amsterdam can be known for pickpocketing tourists, especially the high ones.

Be smart, Amsterdam has many substances readily available, and if you are planning to use some, it's important to be aware of what you're taking and who you are with. Most smart shops sell kits that test the safety of a drug if you are unsure of where it came from.

A smart shop is a store that sells novelty items as well as softer drugs like truffles, testing kits, and smoking devices. If you ever wonder about something, you can ask the employees and they have all of the dos and don'ts of the substance.