Amsterdam is one of the most open-minded places in the world when it comes to legal, semi-legal, and loophole drug use.
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The city has a reputation that precedes itself, thanks to its coffee shops selling cannabis and its regulated red light district—but it’s well-known for other proclivities, too.
From psilocybin truffles to public drug-testing stations, it’s easy to see how Amsterdam looks like a free-for-all, especially for Americans who live in more conservative areas.
Ready to peel back the layers of Amsterdam’s drug policy for tourists?
It’s a deceptively complex topic—and one that tourists, especially those who like a little toke, should know about. Similar to Catalonia’s half-in stance on cannabis clubs, aka associations, it can be a bit of a mind-bender.
Let’s dig in.
Coffee shops & beyond: Amsterdam’s drug policy for tourists who smoke
The Netherlands has not legalized cannabis. Instead, the country’s approach works similarly to cannabis clubs in Barcelona, like I just mentioned.
Like in Catalonia, the Netherlands has decriminalized (or, according to the official website, there is a ‘tolerance policy’ for) small amounts of cannabis for personal use.
The goal is to allow upstanding citizens to enjoy a smoke now and again while discouraging people from growing, selling, and distributing cannabis on a large scale. You can’t have more than five grams in your possession, or it’s assumed you’ll be selling it. The idea is for you to actually pick up and smoke inside the coffee shop.
In addition to finding all types of cannabis at coffee shops, you can also legally purchase hash. (Plus a few more items, but I’ll dig into that below.)
As I mentioned at the top of the article, the Netherlands is very open-minded—and they don’t want to over-police locals or visitors. However, as Amsterdam gained a reputation as a cannabis haven, bad behavior and illegal practices created disruptive issues for residents.
As such, local authorities monitor cannabis coffee shops—and they recently made it legal for owners to deny entry to tourists. Between 1999 and 2024, authorities also cracked down on problematic coffee shops, thinning the herd from 350 coffee shops to 165.
In short, it’s good the police are involved because it ensures regulation and quality control.
The rules at Amsterdam coffee shops
- Having up to five grams on your person is decriminalized throughout the city—though officials are hoping that you’ll smoke your share inside the coffee shop
- The coffee shop can only sell you five grams maximum
- Coffee shop owners must have valid permits to do business, and can only have 500 grams total on-site at any given time
- Guests must be over the age of 18
- Coffee shops cannot sell alcohol or hard drugs
- You cannot smoke in the streets in many places—don’t worry, you’ll see plenty of signs reminding you where it’s not allowed
- Coffee shop owners are allowed to deny entry to any tourists, though residents have the right to enter
What about non-cannabis products?
Here’s the thing—Amsterdam, and the surrounding areas, don’t want to be seen as a cannabis capital. But they really don’t want to be categorized as a hard drug haven.
In the early 2000s, many coffee shops began selling ‘magic’ psilocybin mushrooms, often raw or in a truffle form. This culminated in a tragic death in 2007, which kick-started discussions of the city’s liberal stance on drugs.
By 2008, the Netherlands had enacted a ban on magic mushrooms due to their hallucinogenic effect. That being said, you’ll still see ‘psilocybin truffles’ on sale at coffee shops. Like hash and cannabis, it’s legal to sell and use these truffles in the coffee shop.
The truffles are the hardened part of the mushroom that grows underground, while magic mushrooms are the part of the fungus that blooms above-ground. Both contain psilocybin, which has hallucinogenic effects.
These are the only three legal drugs that you will see in Amsterdam coffee shops: cannabis, hash, and psilocybin truffles.
If you haven’t tried psilocybin before, I don’t recommend enjoying your first ‘trip’ in the city, unless you feel very comfortable in Amsterdam. However, if you insist, I highly recommend assigning someone in your group the role of ‘babysitter’—even if you’re only going into a coffee shop for cannabis, that’s probably still a good rule.
