Enjoy Amsterdam. Know the rules.
Amsterdam is relaxed about cannabis, but it isn't an anything-goes city. Know the basics before you light up.
18+
Coffeeshop minimum age
5g
Personal-use tolerance limit
No street smoking
Restricted in parts of the centre
Don't smoke and ride
Drugs and traffic don't mix
Feeling too high?
Move somewhere calm and ask for help if you need it.
Cannabis can cause panic, nausea, dizziness, heart palpitations and poor coordination, particularly when someone has taken more than they are used to.
Move somewhere quiet and stay with someone you trust.
If you're in a coffeeshop or venue, tell staff that you're feeling unwell.
For serious medical symptoms or an emergency, call 112.
Be honest with medical professionals about what you've taken so they can help you properly.
112emergency services
The rules
Tolerated doesn't mean fully legalDutch cannabis policy is more nuanced than the usual tourist shorthand.
Cannabis is not simply legal in the Netherlands.
Possession, production and sale remain offences, but small quantities of cannabis and regulated coffeeshop sales are tolerated under specific conditions.
For visitors, the useful rule is simple: buy from legitimate coffeeshops and follow local rules.
18+ and small quantitiesCoffeeshops operate under strict limits.
You must be at least 18 to buy cannabis from a coffeeshop.
The Dutch tolerance policy covers possession of no more than 5 grams of cannabis for personal use, and coffeeshops may not sell more than 5 grams to one person in a single transaction.
Carry valid ID and respect venue rules.
Don't assume you can smoke on the streetParts of central Amsterdam prohibit public cannabis smoking.
Amsterdam prohibits smoking cannabis in public in designated parts of the city centre.
The safest rule as a visitor is not to assume that being outdoors means smoking is allowed.
Look for signs and local restrictions, and use a coffeeshop or another venue that explicitly permits cannabis consumption.
This is especially important around the busy historic centre and Red Light District.
Using cannabis
Stronger than you're used to?Cannabis potency varies considerably.
THC strength can vary substantially between products, and unfamiliar high-strength cannabis can cause anxiety, panic, nausea or dizziness.
If you are inexperienced or unsure of the strength, use less rather than trying to match what you would normally consume at home.
Ask staff about the product if you are unsure.
Edibles are slowThe delay is what catches people out.
Cannabis eaten in food takes much longer to take effect than cannabis that is smoked.
Effects may not be obvious for around an hour and can then last for many hours.
A common mistake is assuming nothing is happening and taking more too soon.
Give an edible time to work before deciding whether you have felt its effects.
Hash is different from flowerIt is cannabis resin, and strength varies.
Hash and cannabis flower both contain THC, but hash is made from the plant's resin rather than its dried flowering tops.
Potency varies considerably between products.
If you're unfamiliar with hash, ask the coffeeshop staff about strength and how the product is normally consumed before using it.
Be careful mixing substancesCombining cannabis with alcohol or other drugs can make effects less predictable.
Using cannabis alongside alcohol or other drugs can change or intensify the effects in ways that are difficult to predict.
The lower-risk choice is to avoid combining substances.
Around Amsterdam
Don't smoke and rideAmsterdam bikes are traffic, not an attraction ride.
Do not cycle while impaired.
Dutch rules prohibit participating in traffic while over legal drug limits, including cannabis.
Amsterdam cycling is also fast, busy and unfamiliar to many visitors.
If you've been using cannabis, walk or use public transport instead.
Truffles are not cannabisTreat psychedelics as a completely different experience.
Psychoactive truffles are not cannabis and are not coffeeshop products.
They are sold through smartshops and can produce powerful psychedelic effects that depend heavily on the person, amount and setting.
Do not treat them as simply another Amsterdam cannabis product.
Ignore street dealersTourist hotspots attract illegal street sellers.
Do not buy drugs from street dealers.
Amsterdam health guidance warns that street sellers may offer fake or dangerous products and that intimidation and robbery can occur around tourist areas.
Buy cannabis only from legitimate coffeeshops.