Cannabis Culture

Today was mostly a work day. We did get to visit the Van Gogh museum in the evening, but for the most part we put on our journalist hats (I will blog about the museums later on).

So this morning, Suz and I grabbed the camera gear (she as the reporter, me as the photographer) and went to explore the Cannabis Culture of Amsterdam, and I mean "explore" not "smoke". First of all, there is a difference between a cafe and coffee shop. "Cafe" is where you get coffee, "coffeeshop" is where you can get coffee, but you go for weed.

We ended up interviewing and talking to three experts. Juri, the manager of the Hemp and Marijuana Museum, David, the manager of the Cannabis College, and Mario, an employee of the Hunter's coffeeshop.

Here is a brief summary of what we learned (we will be putting together, and will post a couple of stories when we get back)

What we found strange, Dutch law on cannabis is a living contradiction. Many people believe pot is 100 percent legal in the Holland, but that is not the case. Coffeeshops are allowed to have only 500 grams on the premises, and can only sell a max of 5 grams per person. But while marijuana is legal to sell, it is not legal to grow in mass quantities (only 5 outdoor plants per person), so there is a black market where the 260-plus coffee shops in Amsterdam get their supply (it is not uncommon for local police to shut-down growing operations).

According to our interview subjects, they believe California is ahead of the Netherlands when it comes to cannabis. In California, it is quite easy to get a medicinal card from a doctor to freely buy marijuana. In the Netherlands, doctors (according to our interviews) only sign medical marijuana prescriptions for only the most dire patients. In California, growing marijuana (for medicinal purposes) is done in the open, while in the Holland it is still considered a criminal act.

Those who are involved in the Cannabis Culture in the Netherlands are quite interested in Proposition 19. And they are curious if voters in California will legalize the sale and use of marijuana in November. We were quite surprised how they seemed to be envious of California, considering how most people assume Amsterdam is more open about the use cannabis. We found that in Netherlands, marijuana is something that is tolerated.

-Ryan

Sights: the coffeeshops

Sights: the coffeeshops

And, a quick overview.

-Suzanne

Going gaga for waffles

Yes. Finally. A pastry.

Let's try a belgian waffle dipped in chocolate lightly warmed. Heavenly.

Pastry= 1. Suzanne's Diet= 0.

--Suzanne

Love Lady Gaga? So does this accordian player

Love Lady Gaga? So does this accordian player.... Really?

--Suzanne

Modesto residents vacationing in Amsterdam sound off

You know it's a small world when the people getting off the plane, standing right in front of you in the custom's security checkpoint are from your own area.

So, we bumped into Mr. and Mrs. Oudegeest. They were lovely to share a few quick thoughts with us about: their Amsterdam vacation plans and their take on whether legalizing marijuana use in California is important.




--Suzanne

Viva World Cup

All around Amsterdam are signs of World Cup fever. Bars are shrouded in orange flags and paraphanelia. Souvenir shops tout orange boas to go along with the orange wooden shoes and orange boxer shorts or sports bras that say "Go Holland!" Oversized soccer balls adorn restaurant windows. They're ready. --Suzanne





-Suzanne

Landed in Amsterdam

So after a nine hour flight, we have finally landed in Amsterdam at 11 in morning. Our room wasn't ready, so Suz and I had a chance to walk around the city to soak in a bit of the city. First of all, it is a beautiful city, lots of bikes and canals, perfect for walking, narrow cobblestone streets, the vibe is quite mellow. Speaking of mellow, it took 45 minutes before we can smell the scent of cannabis in the air, frankly I thought that was a long time considering how many "coffee shops" we passed by. Quick note: if you want coffee you go to a cafe, if you want cannabis you go to a coffee shop

So far, the first thing in amsterdam that we ate was fries with mayonnaise. Sounds disgusting (fried food and dipped in fat), but surprisingly it tasted pretty good. We also chugged a few beers while hanging out at a "cafe" not "coffee shop".

Oh yeah... lots of orange around town. Holland will face Spain for the World Cup Championships on Sunday. Still can't figure out the orange thing, because the Netherlands flag is red white and blue.

Once we got into our rooms, both of crashed for a few hours (jet lagged). We are ready to begin exploring some more tonight.

-- Ryan