Waiting To Inhale

I hinted around it in my last post and certainly teased about it in my "tweets" from Amsterdam, so I guess it is finally time to share my coffeeshop experience in Amsterdam (I'll only implicate myself here!).

As you may know or as I have mentioned in previous posts, one of the things that Amsterdam is most known for is that "soft drugs" are legal.  Actually, it's a bit odd... from what I have heard/read it is legal to sell, carry (in limited amounts), and enjoy pot and hemp (there's a difference, I just am not cool/hip enough to know it)... but it's not "legal" to grow it... so go figure.  But as I said, in the last post... getting and enjoying it is as easy as walking into a Starbucks here in the States.

I will readily admit that one of the attractions of going to Amsterdam was to giving pot another try.  Thanks to a pothead roomie in my freshman year of undergrad, I had had some previous experiences with it... but not much, could count it on one hand.  The first time was as stereotypical as it gets -- the hacking, choking, coughing for about 5 minutes... and ultimately there was only one time I would say I ever experienced the full effect of it.  Funny enough, I smoked pot before I had ever smoked a regular cigarette... so I always wondered if the pot experience would have been better knowing how to smoke.  But I am getting ahead of myself...

... but anyhow, there was no doubt that I was going to give it a try while in Amsterdam.  On our way from the train station to our hotel, we passed many coffeeshops -- they were what you'd expect ... small, dark, dingy... many with that the reggae vibe... so not exactly what I would describe as "my scene"... the same thing ultimately had us not experiencing anything hands-on (so to speak) gay in Amsterdam as many of the bars/clubs (i.e. the previously pictured Cockring) leaned toward the leather scene... so again, not something for this quite "white" and somewhat geeky American.

So it was a good thing, that right across from our hotel was... please hold your laughter...  the Betty Boop Coffeeshop and Juice Bar (pictured above/left).  Not a deep, dark den of iniquity... the place did resemble more of an independent-ish coffee shop in the true "not sell pot" American way... with a nice cozy loft upstairs (note the red window in the picture) with sofa and chairs. 

Going in I just decided it was best to fess up and told the very approachable young woman behind the counter... "First time in Amsterdam, how does this all work?"  As we had heard, she quickly pulled out a menu -- listing items for purchase and their prices.  Many places have extensive menus, but here it was pretty simple... ready-to-go marijuana and hemp joints (either mixed with tobacco or 'straight up' - bulk discount available!), marijuana or hemp in bags to roll on your own or use in whatever device you want, and "space cakes."  I knew enough about the "cakes" (baked good items), since I had read they had delayed and long-lasting effect that were potentially undesirable. 

Again, I was very happy to be dealing with a woman -- the guys/dudes in other places seemed a bit more intimidating -- she went on to give a Smoking Pot 101 Course... how one should smoke a joint (much more slowly than a cigarette), to take breaks to let it kick in, and also to have sugar or other sweets handy... since it is one's blood sugar that drops when one starts to "crash."

Playing it conservatively, I ultimately opted for a ready-to-go mixed tobacco/marijuana joint... all yours for 3.50 Euros (so approximately $US 5)!   And it was none of of this tiny, pinch it between your fingers tightly rolled stuff... a big, fat joint that looked like a regular cigarette on steroids.  She also provided a little vial (I assume it has a name... but again geeky, white American here), that you could put your unused joint in to save for future use.  So I couldn't have asked for a better "intro" it.

Enjoyed the joint in the upstairs loft (though navigating the tight and high-pitched spiral staircase on the way down back down proved a bit of a challenge)... entertained by a... ready for this... a mother-daughter (and I'm guessing sister-aunt) sharing some hemp with their pipe!   Anyhow, got a good buzz off of it, but still wondered if I was "doing it right"... felt alright, but certainly wasn't staring off into space as some of the other customers or as giddy as these ladies.   At that point, I was thinking maybe there was something to Bill Clinton's famous quote about "not inhaling" (or perhaps more appropriately, not inhaling correctly).

To make this already long story somewhat shorter, I ended up stretching that joint over two more sessions and it certainly seemed things got stronger as the joint got smaller... and these other times, I did actually enjoy my "coffee" (wink, wink) with a coffee in the coffeeshop!

My experience didn't quite end there.  If you go into any shop selling the usual tourist stuff... t-shirts, trinkets, and yes, even wooden shoes... there is often a section of cannibas products... stuff like instant coffee or cocoa mixes w/ cannibas and many types of candy too (the cannibas gummie bears made me laugh out loud)!  So while I was off on my own one afternoon, I figured what the heck... along with bottle of soda and (I kid you not) a "sex shop" Christmas ornament... I threw in a cannibas lollipop (costing a Euro or two).  Got a bit of a buzz off of it (not sure how much of that was psychological), but it was a fun little item to try out... and much more easy on the throat too!

Definitely a fun little diversion/activity, ultimately it was an instance of the "anticipation event being greater than the event itself"... which is probably a good thing since it's not like you can experience something like that anywhere else other than in Amsterdam.

Comments

[Scot]

GOOD FOR YOU! Can you walk around town enjoying your "coffee" or do you have to enjoy it only in the confines of a coffee shop? I can't help but wonder if the baked items are as bad as the ones we had in college?