Know What to Expect from your Amsterdam Coffee Shop Experience
If this is your first time visiting an Amsterdam coffee shop, then relax. You can enjoy the experience without worry for looking out of place, if you know what to expect. Overall, a coffee shop visit should be a pleasant opportunity to relax in a social environment. Not a tense excursion in to an unknown place.
What is Legal in the Coffee Shop?
Yes, you can enjoy marijuana smoking in an Amsterdam coffee shop, however that does not mean it is completely legal everywhere in the country. First, anyone over the age of 18 is permitted to purchase up to 5 grams of marijuana per day. This is a very generous quantity for a single smoker. Second, marijuana smoking is not permitted just anywhere. It can only be done legally inside a government sanctioned coffee shop, often labeled a “coffeeshop” with no space. Some Amsterdam coffee shops also have outdoor seating where marijuana smoking is permitted.
Buying Weed in an Amsterdam Coffee Shop
Provided you are of the right age and haven’t gone over the daily limit, you can purchase weed in the coffee shop. The ones designed for marijuana smoking are usually very easy to identify, so that will not be an issue. You are also permitted to buy in one coffee shop and smoke in another. However as you frequent Amsterdam coffeeshops, realize it is customary to purchase a beverage while taking up a seat. Most coffee shops even offer free rolling papers or water pipes for customer use, just be ready to place an order for these complimentary items.
Can I Smoke Anywhere Else in Amsterdam?
Provided you know these tips, your visit to various Amsterdam coffee shops should be a pleasant experience. However, it is very important to reiterate that marijuana smoking is not legal anywhere else but in a government coffee shop. Contrary to popular belief, the Netherlands does not permit marijuana smoking anywhere and everywhere. As long as you follow the law as well as courtesy rules while visiting a coffee shop, you will have no problems.