Myths About Cannabis Cafes in Amsterdam

Myths About Cannabis Cafes in Amsterdam

While our focus is giving travelers a taste of local life in Amsterdam on our blog, we know that one of the more popular reasons many young travelers visit are cannabis cafes in Amsterdam. These are small restaurants or coffee shops in Amsterdam that are allowed to serve marijuana, both for smoking or included in various baked goods and snacks. There are many tourists who visit Amsterdam to visit these cafes, but there are a lot of myths surrounding them that you should be aware of.

Myth #1: Cannabis is Actually Legal This is the biggest myth when it comes to cannabis cafes in Amsterdam. As cafes are famous – or infamous – tourists around the world, there is a perception that marijuana is perfectly legal in the city and country, but unfortunately this is not the case.

Marijuana is decriminalized, which means the police won't arrest you for possessing or consuming it, but there are areas in Amsterdam where smoking marijuana in public will get you in legal trouble, so be sure to check it out. You only do this in a cafe.

Police can arrest you for possessing marijuana, getting high and being a public nuisance. In fact, the mayor of Amsterdam was advocating for a complete ban of tourists from cannabis cafes in Amsterdam because of bad behavior.

Myth #2: Everyone Loves Marijuana in Amsterdam There are many people in the city and country who want to make marijuana completely illegal again. It was decriminalized in the 1960s with the intention of making it more acceptable to the population and then fully legalized. More than half a century later, and it still hasn't been fully legalized, shows that the country is fairly divided about it.

Certain strains of weed are actually classified as "hard drugs" by Amsterdam's legal system, and cannabis cafes in Amsterdam face very strict regulations. They can't be close to schools, they can't advertise their business, and you shouldn't be buying weed on the streets.

Myth #3: They Only Serve Marijuana This is another common myth. In fact, most cannabis cafes in Amsterdam will have full kitchens to serve a variety of foods and beverages, including dishes that don't contain marijuana at all.

They also serve some CBD products, such as CBD gummies, which are also made from hemp but don't get you high like marijuana.

You can go to cafes for the experience, but you can find something to eat and drink if you're not comfortable with marijuana. Some cafes are basically full restaurants with a good selection of food, or are small coffee shops that only serve small snacks. If you want to check out their menus, you can check out their online coffeeshop menu ahead of time so you can find a meal somewhere you'll love.

Keep all these things in mind while traveling to Amsterdam. They doesn't mind the existence of cafes and the tourism that comes to the city, but they doesn't have much patience for overly rowdy behavior. You can go to the cafe to soak in the atmosphere, and there is some appeal in smoking marijuana or eating their foods and relaxing.