Page 20 iGap travelguide 2023
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iGap Travel Guide
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We have a lot to be thankful for when it comes to Amsterdam – its forward thinking nature and liberal attitudes
have made it the hedonistic capital of Europe. Where everyone from excitable twenty-somethings go for a
wild weekend to forty-somethings who just can’t quite let go of their youth, Amsterdam offers the promise of
debauchery abound. But before you get too excited, the city of Amsterdam is not some sort of post-apocalyptic,
free-for-all city where anything goes – far from it. There are in fact plenty of sensible rules which some naïve
tourists often forget, so here is our guide to the dos and don’ts.
TonyV3112 / Shutterstock.com
BECOMING A CANNABISSEUR
It cannot be denied that one of the main reason
tourists enjoy coming to Amsterdam is the lure of
legally smoking marijuana. The law can be traced back
to 1976 when the Dutch parliament decriminalised
possession of less than five grams of cannabis. That still
stands today so don’t go around stuffing your pockets
with green. Don’t be stupid enough to try and take
some home as some sort kooky souvenir either.
When cannabis was decriminalised it gave rise to
a type of establishment that can only be found in
Netherlands. There are a multitude of “coffeeshops”
across Amsterdam, where you can select from a menu
of cannabis products and light up in full view indoors
or at a sidewalk table. These are not to be confused
with “cafes” where you actually go for coffee.
Steven Bostock / Shutterstock.com
20
We have a lot to be thankful for when it comes to Amsterdam – its forward thinking nature and liberal attitudes
have made it the hedonistic capital of Europe. Where everyone from excitable twenty-somethings go for a
wild weekend to forty-somethings who just can’t quite let go of their youth, Amsterdam offers the promise of
debauchery abound. But before you get too excited, the city of Amsterdam is not some sort of post-apocalyptic,
free-for-all city where anything goes – far from it. There are in fact plenty of sensible rules which some naïve
tourists often forget, so here is our guide to the dos and don’ts.
TonyV3112 / Shutterstock.com
BECOMING A CANNABISSEUR
It cannot be denied that one of the main reason
tourists enjoy coming to Amsterdam is the lure of
legally smoking marijuana. The law can be traced back
to 1976 when the Dutch parliament decriminalised
possession of less than five grams of cannabis. That still
stands today so don’t go around stuffing your pockets
with green. Don’t be stupid enough to try and take
some home as some sort kooky souvenir either.
When cannabis was decriminalised it gave rise to
a type of establishment that can only be found in
Netherlands. There are a multitude of “coffeeshops”
across Amsterdam, where you can select from a menu
of cannabis products and light up in full view indoors
or at a sidewalk table. These are not to be confused
with “cafes” where you actually go for coffee.
Steven Bostock / Shutterstock.com
