The coffee shops in Amsterdam are regarded as popular tourist attractions here. However, never mistake Amsterdam coffee shops as the normal coffee pubs that serve baked goods and hot java. In fact, most Amsterdam coffee shops function as legal dispensaries that sell marijuana and other cannabis. On your Amsterdam private tours, you can find more than a hundred such coffee bars in the city and most of these options are housed in the red light district.
Even though it is legal to sell and buy cannabis in the Dutch capital, there are certain guidelines that a stoner must follow when it comes to smoking weeds or getting high on their Amsterdam private tours. In order to help you out with this, below are one of the major dos and don’ts that you must follow when you visit the coffee shops here.
Never Confuse Cafes with Coffee Shops When in Amsterdam
If you are craving for morning caffeine and a bite of croissant, the right choice for you is the cafes or koffiehuis here; not coffee shops. It is to be noted that the latter is for taking cannabis while the former serves hot beverages and finger-licking pastries. Most first-time mistakes tend to make this mistake.
That being said, not every coffee shop in Amsterdam has the right to sell cannabis and weeds. Usually, there will be green and white stickers in front of the coffee shops that are allowed to sell marijuana. Furthermore, cannabis retailers are not allowed to sell marijuana and alcohol at the same place since it is against Dutch law.
Ask Details about the Menu
You are likely to see menus on the tables or printed on the walls in Amsterdam coffee shops just like many restaurants or cafes. Usually, the menu, in this case, will be divided into hash, weed, pre-rolled joints, and space cakes. Note that the latter is delicious cakes baked with marijuana as one of the main ingredients. The pricing of different products tends to change according to its quality and quantity.
A first-timer might find the names on the menu quite funny and are likely to choose the one that sounds the best. This can land you in trouble, especially if you are consuming marijuana for the first time. So, it is better to ask questions to the staff at the coffee shop about different products, their effects, how to consume, etc. Fortunately, most coffee shop employees are so friendly and are trained to deal with foreigners