Amaterdammers

All drugs are illegal in Amsterdam. The famous coffee shops and so-called “legal” weed smoking is actually just as illegal in Amsterdam as it is in the United States. But, drugs, hookers, and the famous red lights are still the main ideas when thinking of Amsterdam. 

In the 70’s the, the government decided to split drugs into two categories, hard and soft, with the idea of focusing all of their efforts to eliminating the hard drugs—cocaine and heroine—off the streets, which had become a serious problem over the years. 

By cracking down on the hard drugs and being more and more tolerant of the soft drugs, like weed, the city of Amsterdam bred the very first coffee shop and the mentality of if it is discrete and isn’t harmful there are no problems. 

Despite the random pockets of smoke and the one street of the red light district, the presence of Amsterdam’s reputation is a thing of the past. Most of the participants in the Amsterdam traditions is tourists and the government is slowly directing its attention from hard drugs, which have been almost completely illuminated from the streets, to soft drugs. By spring of next year the some 250 red light windows will be reduced to just over 50; two years ago there were over 400 windows. 

Eventually, tourists will come to see the spectacular canals, leaning buildings, drink great beer and experience the thousands of bikes racing past at any given moment. There are more bikes than there are people throughout the city and it is the most efficient way to get around the rings of canals unique to Amsterdam.

There are countless places to rent bikes throughout the city. Black Bikes offers a subtler bike to help blend in and hope for less honking and yelling from the Dutch when you aren’t following proper bike etiquette. But there is no better way to see the city than on the seat of a bicycle. 

Weaving in and out of canals, over bridges, and hoping into a huge group of cyclers you will see what it is really like to be Dutch. You may even find yourself at the windmill brewery, Brouwerij’t IJ, for a few very cheap craft beers brewed right there in the windmill. 

Don’t be discouraged, the booze, hookers, and weed is all still there. It is still acceptable to stroll down the street with which every vice you choose but add a day to your next trip to Amsterdam to see everything else the city has to offer.