My ACD 420 Induction

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RoMoney
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My ACD 420 Induction

Post by RoMoney »

When I woke on April 14th I was actually excited as ACD'ers were arriving on the ground in Amsterdam and the 420 party was kicking off. As I was only a member of the site for 6 months this was all new to me, but I loved Amsterdam and I loved 420 so it was bound to be great regardless. I enjoyed the initial reports as the crew were trailblazing around the city on excursions to different coffeeshops but after a few days I was sick of it and just wanted to be there. The hash porn from Eerste Hulp on Instagram also wasn't helping.

So by the time I was going to the Airport on 19th I was on the verge of madness from waiting. I got to AMS without any major drama, though having waked and baked all day I had now not smoked in several hours and was really feeling it. I rushed through Schipol, taking the bag of coins from my main bag while also not loosing stride. I clicked the Union Jack for English...clicked One Way, chose Central Station and fired in my coins. I realised the price had gone up 10 cents and thought, bastards. You know you go to the Netherlands too much when you're bitching ahout the train ticket prices like a Dutch person would. Yesh, ze priches have gone up again!

Jumped on the Brussels Inter City and we were straight in without any stops and I was on the platform before the doors had even fully opened and off like a shot to Utopia. I got there after 10, hit the counter and James was working, took some GG4 as I love the stuff, James recommended the Lavender Kush which I took some of and the Kashmir hasj. I sat down feeling shattered and badly in need of a joint. I had a look at the ACD chat and saw Drugsbunny "I'm in Utopia". I look around and there's only one guy sat at a table on his own so I think, fuck it, and I walk over bag hanging off me, bags of weed, skins etc. in hand and ask "Are you DB" and once I get the shocked look that says yes, who the fuck are you, I say "RoMoney, nice to meet you" and I sit down and start rambling about being stressed and needing a joint and I seem to recall rambling until I'd smoke a few joints, though there's never a guarantee any amount of joints will stop me.

DB was most polite and sat there and listened to my ramblings :) Then Madmaxxx rocked in and we were all sitting there chatting about random travels, parties, shenanigans and I got the Haarlem updates. I started to feel settled in. We were also talking to a Dutch guy who joined the conversation when were talking about Toermalijn CS in Tilburg (which I intend to go visit now - so thanks to Madmaxx for mentioning it to me!), it's seems to be one of those good regional shops that you find here and there. Anyway at some point DB left and after a while when Max left. Then the guy told me he used to roll joints for hip hop stars and showed me his Insta and he had like 13.4k followers and there was pics of him with US rap stars. When I came home I located this as well. It's in Dutch, but you have all heard of google translate: https://www.vice.com/nl/article/avxmw8/ ... terren-127 I like random meetings like that with interesting people. Quite a niche claim to fame!

After midnight I decided I should go check in so the hostel didn't give my bed away and I proceed to the Flying Pig downtown. I alternate a bit between it and Uptown, but generally prefer Uptown, though for this trip I booked downtown as it's handier to be central and I know the Copenhagen Couple are staying there too so looking forward to a sesh in the smoking room. When I get to reception and hand in my passport the guys looks at it for a few minutes and asks me is the booking in this name, crap, this isnt good I think as I start opening up my e-mails to get the booking confirmation, I booked way back in Jan. Then as I'm looking he tells me I'm booked in Uptown and then I find the e-mail and I see that he is right. Bollocks. He starts to explain there is two hostels and I stop him and explain I know. He then starts to try to show me where it is on the map and I assure him it's fine I know where it is, I'm just an idiot and I leave walking down the street a bit pissed off at myself. Then I realise I'm too stoned to be walking that fast so I slow down to stop myself feeling woozy. Then I think, wait, I'm in Amsterdam.....I'm stoned as, I've half a joint in my pocket and all I have to do is the 30 mins walk to the other hostel and and park myself in that smoking room, it's not the end of the world you big drama queen and I set off on my way. I get there and get checked in and straight into the hostel smoking room to roll a joint and onto the ACD chat to explain my absence in the downtown smoking room :) Funny start to the trip, but after being back in Utopia, smoking some nice weed and meeting two new ACD'ers it was a successful start and I plodded up to bed at shortly after 1. I couldn't sleep due to all the coffee I drank that day, way above my usally daily limit and at 2:30am I went back down to the smoking room for more joints before going back to bed at shortly after 4. I still recall a guy in the smoking room, telling me, but it will be 4:20 soon and I remember thinking, yeah mate, but I want to be awake for the one tomorrow and I was off to bed for real this time.

I woke around 7am, I'm like an old aged pensioner, I always get up early, even when I got to bed late. I had the alarm set for 8am anyway as 1e Hulp was open early and there was hasj to be had. I got out of bed had a quick shower, went down to roll a joint and then it was off to Vondel to snmoke it. When I walked into Vondel I was immediately happy I was at the Uptown hostel as I'm a fan of Vondel even if it gets too busy quite often. I realised in Vondel I'd forgot my shades and even at this early hour it was very clear that we were in for lekker weer, but I thought screw it and proceeded to 1 Hulp after I smoked my joint. In 1e Hulp I got some GG4 hasj and Tangie hasj and sat upstairs and got talk to an Australian guy who was in Amsterdam for the 2nd time. After talking about the Mardi Grass in Nimbin a bit, he told me that he was in Vondel and a Dutch guy walked by him and made a joke about him and all his friends laughed at the Australian. It was in Dutch and all he could understand from it was Willie Wortel, so he googled Willie Wortel and realised with his glasses etc. that he was obviously joking that he looked like him. So he realises that Willie Wortel is a cartoon character and also a Coffeeshop chain in Haarlem and tells me he's now decided to go to Haarlem to check out Willie Wortels. I told him to share his story with the bud tender, I enjoyed it, it was a bit random :)

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While all this was going on I was on the ACD chat and Utopia for 9:30 was agreed. I left 1e Hulp, wishing the Aussie all the best in Haarlem and made my way to Utopia, via Albert Heijn for brekkie. I spent a long time that morning in Utopia and met much of the rest of the crew and get my badge from the Captain......there was talk of moving lots of places, The Stud etc. but when I realised at 11am the plan was to be in 420 Cafe at 2pm I knew I would not leave the Centrum. I eventually ventured down to Pink Floyd (aka CS Amsterdam on Harlemerstraart but Lemmings preferred name for it is the former as he informed me :)) I like Lemmings approach on this, we do similar here with pubs, if they change the name of a pub some people still continue to use the old name. Lemming, DB and I got there and I took the Tangilope, a beatiful smelling strain. I had smoked it before in BCN and raved about the taste sensation that it was so could not pass trying it again. I thought it was not as good as in BCN but I was wasted in fariness at this point. We then sat upstairs and the search for the constantly moving Kushola was on, he was in Pink Floyd, he was not in Pink Floyd, he was on the first floor, then he was in Popeyes. Lemming took a stroll as he knew what he looked like and couldn't find him and eventually, voila, he appears! :) From here we made our way to 420 Cafe stopping for bananas to feed the troops on the way. As we walked down Harlemerstraat I notice that Lemming doesn't really walk, he has this suave way he kind of glides down the road, camera in hand snapping CSs, his old apartment etc. He mentions something about some CS from 1988 to which I proclaim I was only born 6 years earlier and immediately realise that probably wasn't the best response :lol: but Lemming glides on unphased. We arrive at 420 cafe and corner the end of the main table with plans to take over. Some people pop into The Bottle for a quick beer and more troops start to arrive. We slowly take over the whole table, but then start loosing troops to the bar next door, food pit stops etc. I'm left at the table freaking out thinking, I don't need all this responsibility of minding the table, again I have to collect myself and remind myself I'm stoned on holiday in Amsterdam, stress does not exist until Monday :mrgreen: People flock back before 420, the table fills up and we are all good. The boss man in 420 comes around with some whopper party joints and ask for any Americans, Ed puts his hand up and gets given one, the guy tells Ed, it's America first so he can light his first. Ed graciously insists the Netherlands first and in the end I forget who sparked it up first but they got passed around and think we all got to smoke them. I had a pic of Lemming puffing one he said I could post, but too many in the background.

After a while I decide to exit for Bluebird and before I leave someone puts a phone in my face and I see a big smiling Papi blazing back home :) Ed and Kushola join me. Ed keeps telling me it may not be open and I think he has smoked way too much, why would they be closed on 420?!?! But low and behold Ed is right and we have to wait outside for the grand reopening of the yet unfinished refurbishments. We wait outside for 20 minutes being assured every 5 minutes that they will open in 5 minutes which it eventually does. There are quite a few tentative regulars eyeing the new decor suspiciously and soon loads more of the crew arrive. I get the Amnesia special, now only €30 for 4.2 gram vs €35 previously and one of their ever great fresh orange juice. After this I realise I need food before anymore sesh, make my excuses and hurtle down Sint Antoniesbreestraat towards the Albert Heijn on Neumarkt for more fruit and nuts.

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From there I went to Utopia before swinging by the batcave. I'm not a massive fan of bars in Amsterdam as I prefer the CS buzz, so apart from Hill Stree Booze I rarely go to bars in Amsterdam anymore, but it was pretty cool to see a smoking room in an Amsterdam bar with lots of people dabbing, hitting bongs and generally just going for it.

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I didn't spend too long there, I had bangers and mash and after borrowing Smirks bong for a quick GG4 weed and GG4 hash combo bowl I decide it's time for fresh air and a stroll to Siberie. I was joined by DB, Kushola and the Macky clan, but when we get to Siberie they no longer stock the Jesus OG so I don't get anything. As I root through my man bag (the story of most weekends in AMS) looking forward certain weed I start leaving lots of bags on the table in front of me and the girl cleaning the tables, says....."please, no more than 5g on the table" :lol: From here we went to Amsterdamned where it hit me that I was wrecked and had gone one CS too far. The lack of sleep from the night before and the fact it was 10:30pm and I had my first joint before 8am in Vondel that morning also wasn't helping :D I make my way back to Vondel and close out the night in the hostel smoking room, nice and close to my bed. I'm in bed by for 12:30 and 420 in Amsterdam with the ACD Crew has been an absolute raging success.

421: Next morning I'm up again bright and early before 8am and after a quick shower I'm out to Vondel for a morning joint. Super Silver Haze for those irie AM vibrations :) Next stop is Amsterdam Zuid and a visit to DNA and De Kade CS. They are about 20-30 mins walk from Vondel and as I'm making my way down there I'm on ACD chat with Papi, who it is clear is missing the place, but is feeding off the ACD energy on the ground :) Amsterdam Zuid is quite nice and calm, I like it down there. I pop into DNA CS and get some White Choco hasj. Their little smoking room (standing only) is being cleaned so I plod on to De Kade which is literally 2 minutes away, but they are not open so I chill by the lake and wait.

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When they open I pop in and ask about the Golden Green Bakery edibles which they tell me they no longer stock and when I asked about getting restocked they mention they don't think they operate anymore. They have their own edibles but I decline. I get some Somari, a coffee and sit down to chill, over the next while Smirks arrives, very nice to meet him again after meeting at Spannabis earlier this year. Then Madmaxxx arrives followed by Collina. After a few joints there we decide to go to Het Ballonetje via Beatrix Park which is close by, I had never been in that park before but I have to say I really liked it and will defo go back. I know the glorious weather helped but it just felt so much more chilled than Vondel and had less homeless drunks than Sarphatiapark. We had joints in the Park and Choppermike swung by on the bike. We decided to go with the Tram and thankfully Smirks guided us as I was very little help :D

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We got to Het Ballonetje around 2 or a little before and in we go. First thing I notice is they have Jesus OG on the menu, Yaaaaaaas, I proceed to purchase some! I asked for a coffee and the lady said they would sort them out together. I thought this was strange given we have an expression here called "going Dutch" which means splitting the bill so this seemed very un-Dutch. I then realised what she meant was they were not charging us at all - something also very un-Dutch. We had free drinks, free food and free tasters (loads! clearly well cured, frosty buds in jars) of Blueberry, Rude Boy OG and Cookies n Cream. I proceeded to start churning out joints with the three jars in front of me and I was sat beside the CC who are a proper joint making factory! Pretty sure it was rush hour and there was joints everywhere. By far and aware the best hospitality I've experience in a Coffeeshop. I think they recognnise that as a non-centurm based CS that the site is very useful for them as if you sell quality but are not in the centrum you will still get kudos here, good reviews and hence more discerning smokers will make the trek to your shop. Was nice to speak to Ohm Sweet Ohm there, also catch up with Devore on his exploits and speak with Mrs CC, was a shame I didn't get to work the crowd more but I was wasted :D Was also nice to see Dolby turn up :D I got more of the Jesus OG before I left and from Het Ballonetje I ventured back to Vondel, which was packed, had a quick joint and pop into the hostel for a quick shower to freshen up.

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After my shower I start strolling back to Utopia where I meet Stan and Ed ,who had an early morning flight and was saying his goodbyes. I spend most of the evening in Utopia smoking with Stan for a while and later on my own before making it back to the hostel.

In the hostel smooking room I spoke with a fellow country man of mine who works there but who I never met before. He asks what I'm doing in AMS etc. and it becomes clear we're both cannabis fiends. Then when he hears ACD, he immediately says, "no way, do you know the Copenhagen Couple?" and bingo I have met the famous night shift guy whose name I won't post here :) I'm absolutely sure CC will know who I mean, I did not know he was from same country as me when you mentioned him before. Really good guy. I mentioned we were smoking together that day and he laughed and said to say hi! There's now 3 cannabis fiends working in that hostel from the same country as me, it's quite funny given I'm from such a small country. Good for tips on certain things though for example when I relayed my failed edibles hunt in De Kade to one of them, he said "Go to Terminator CS, they do 150mg jelly babies", which I will be after in July. Towards the end of the night as I'm smoking hash from the bong I make the mistake of having a bong of the White Choco hash and head to bed where I can't sleep for a while due to a heavy sativa head rush. Needless to say I doze off eventually.

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Next morning I'm up again before 8am and off for a Vondel joint. The DamLifeGang had an event in Club Media at 10am but it's too far from Central Station so I decide, shockingly, to go to Utopia. After another joint or two and some food from Albert Heijn I'm the first one in Utopia. James is on and their is some instrumental garage playing and I park and start rolling joints. I get two edibles for the plane from Utopia as I'm too lazy to walk around to Paradox and I continue with the Utopia wake and bake, joined by Bunny and Choppermike. Then eventually it's time to go and I say my goodbyes, heading to the airport. I smoke my last joint in front of the multi story car park across from the airport entrance, eat the first edible, make my way into the airport, eat number two with a coffee and go through screening and sit melting in the departure lounge.

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The edibles do a great job and I fly home staring out at the clouds from my window seat in zen mode, I couldn't stop thinking about the Orb song "Little Fluffly Clouds" as I glided through them on a magical carpet in my mind. Had I really just completed my ACD 420 induction?

Can't thank everyone enough (especially Lemming for being the glue that holds this motley crew/community together)! I sent a lot of individual messages to people and have a few more to send, as a lot of people said on the thread, there's many people I wish I could have talked to more and I didn't even get to meet Kermit, maybe next time man! Really hope to see you all again next year and make it earlier for some jaunts to more suburbs.


Bring back Imelda Marcos!
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AzLaker
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Re: My ACD 420 Induction

Post by AzLaker »

Great read RoMoney. Nice pictures of the city, plus the gang in the batcave. Glad you had a great time. :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
Best place to party on 4/20....or anytime!! :D :D

AzLaker
8)
If you never do, you'll never know.
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KeyMonCha
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Re: My ACD 420 Induction

Post by KeyMonCha »

Excellent write up, RM.... Thanks!

Wonder how often stoners turn up at the wrong Piggy? ...Must be so easy to do, especially when indulging in the local herbals! :mrgreen:

Thanks, again! 8)
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titus wong
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Re: My ACD 420 Induction

Post by titus wong »

Top read bud. You made the most of your cherry. :lol:
Everyone seems normal until you get to know them.
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Willjay
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Re: My ACD 420 Induction

Post by Willjay »

8) :mrgreen: nice trip report thanks for taking the time :D and a Belated welcome to the forum
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Junglist Movement
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Re: My ACD 420 Induction

Post by Junglist Movement »

Awesome!
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EasilySuede
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Re: My ACD 420 Induction

Post by EasilySuede »

brilliant read and pics-
nicely detailed.
thanks for taking the time.
hope to make it to the next 420.
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DjShaggy
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Re: My ACD 420 Induction

Post by DjShaggy »

im sure you wasnt rambling ro
ignoring spellcheck since 1986
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OneHighMofo
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Re: My ACD 420 Induction

Post by OneHighMofo »

Cheers for the write up dude - enjoyed hearing your side of the tale and it was lovely to meet you albeit briefly. Think that was the least amount of time I've ever spent in Coffeeshops during a Dam trip!
LLMReb
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Re: My ACD 420 Induction

Post by LLMReb »

Great read! Thanks for the write up. I love reading all of the different perspectives. I must check out that park on the next visit.
kalima
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Re: My ACD 420 Induction

Post by kalima »

top read mate, as always.
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Pierre von Mondragon
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Re: My ACD 420 Induction

Post by Pierre von Mondragon »

Nice meeting you man, good photo of my Wizards Pouch there above
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Junglist Movement
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Re: My ACD 420 Induction

Post by Junglist Movement »

I have to ask. What's a wizard's pouch?
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Pierre von Mondragon
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Re: My ACD 420 Induction

Post by Pierre von Mondragon »

In the Batavia photo above, there is a red and gold pouch on the table, it's, er, a Wizard's pouch with spell casting components, and that... A lot of the shit on that table is mine including the Walter Sobchak shades
Kermit
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Re: My ACD 420 Induction

Post by Kermit »

Nice write up, thanks for sharing, I am a tricky one to pin down and tbh I didn't spend much time with the forum members out this trip, I done Haarlem and the boat then spent my time trawling coffeeshops.

Maybe next time 8)
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