If you have never heard of coffeeshops, and you were around in America in the 60's, then maybe you'd be interested to know that, in practice, you can buy marijuana (and hash, both cheap!) in bars. Anytime you are walking the streets of Amsterdam, look for signs that say COFFEESHOP. Most do not sell alcohol, but if there is a green triangle on the front of the shop, that means they have both marijuana and alcohol.

If you already knew that Amsterdam has marijuana and hash bars called coffeeshops, then you can skip to the next section which is a detailed description of the Real Story on Coffeeshops.

OK, you grew up in America where is is a crime virtually everywhere to possess marijuana, hereafter referred to as "pot". You always had to know someone who had pot or knew where to get it. If you were lucky you knew a grower who sold to you at lower prices and gave you the first pick.

In all these cases you were required by law to be a criminal and deal with criminals just to get stoned. Some of these criminals who sell pot also sell hard drugs like cocaine, speed, meth, shrooms, acid, X(stacy), peyote, or other illegal drugs. There is a distinction between pot and these hard drugs. Without making the entire case here, my premise here is that alcohol and pot are soft drugs, while hallucinogens, cocaine, methamphetamines, heroin and such are hard drugs.

You may not like pot, but put your bias aside while you read about one aspect of Dutch society which shows how practical and straighforward they are as a people and culture. In the late 1960's and early 70's the Dutch designed a new and nearly unique policy to deal with the growing problem of drug use. Recognizing that there is a difference between the long term effects of soft and hard drug use, the decided to allow the sales of marijuana and hash in businesses callled coffeeshops. In the early years these hash bars were still illegal but overlooked by the police. As detailed elsewhere, the bars in Amsterdam were recently legitimized in another attempt to separate cocaine sales from pot sales.

You wonder about the laws? Again, the next section goes into more detail. For now, just consider my idea that here in America, we tend to think in black and white, especially when it comes to the application of the law. Some police officers in America smoke a soft drug known as pot, and a smaller group takes methamphetimines or other hard drugs. Plus a number of officers are clean of illegal drugs, yet imbibe the legal soft drug alcohol on regular occasions.

Many of them may personally think pot is not such a bad thing, yet when it comes to doing their jobs, they dutifully (and blindly) enforce any law on the books. Thus a whole class of people becomes criminals . who do nothing illegal or criminal in their lives must resort to criminal behavior to obtain and use marijuana.

In Holland, the thinking overall is rather different. By creating a practical separation between soft drugs (pot) and hard drugs (coke, etc.), the Dutch are allowing something to happen in a controlled fashion, without investing huge resources. In fact, coffeeshops pay taxes on their profits. The Dutch do not needlessly cling to rules ; instead they are very flexible and willing to apply their brainpower to individual situations. This characteristic is pervasive throughout Holland, but is especially present in Amsterdam.

Smoking pot in Holland is not an act of rebellion.