Newbie with Questions

[idontknow]

I have so many questions....

My wife and I are heading to Amsterdam for 3 days in a couple of months. We've been to Europe a lot so that's not the issue. The issue is that we are both in our mid 40's and have never touched weed in our lives. We'd like to give it a try but had a few questions and be warned that some of these are going to be really dumb.

#1 Should we split it up where only one of us gets high at one time? Would it be safe for us to both be stoned for the first time in Amsterdam?

#2 I'd prefer to smoke it, she would probably prefer the edibles. Should/can I just buy a pre-rolled joint? What should she try for edibles?

#3 I've heard of places like Grey area and Barneys are good but are they good for first timers? Should we smoke it at these places or take it somewhere else?

#4 We are planning on using AirBnB to find a place. Should we try and find a place near one of the coffee shops?

#5 Anything else that I should be considering? What am I missing?

Thanks in advance for the help.

[notsofasteddie]

The question has been asked before. Here are some of the threads discussing "Newbie" smokers:

https://www.coffeeshopdirect.com/forum/v ... =9&t=31924

https://www.coffeeshopdirect.com/forum/v ... =9&t=30730

https://www.coffeeshopdirect.com/forum/v ... =9&t=29814

https://www.coffeeshopdirect.com/forum/v ... =3&t=32482

At its simplest, find a shop with nice ambiance (La Tertulia, Amnesia, other), rely on the advice of the budtender, and go slow. Edibles are probably not a good idea, a least at first, as it is difficult to control dosage. More info on edibles:

https://www.coffeeshopdirect.com/forum/v ... =3&t=32668

A pre-roll is one solution; a better one is to chat the budtender up, buy a gram as recommended by the bt and get him/her to roll for you. If its not busy, a lot of them will. Failing that a pipe or the house vaporizer. Again find a friendly tender!

The "one-at-a-time" idea is a good one for two (2) first timers. Staying close to a coffeeshop is also a good idea. I would also suggest that your first time be daytime.

Also remember that many visitors to Amsterdam have been first timers so the path is well travelled.

[ed the head]

I have so many questions....

#1 Should we split it up where only one of us gets high at one time? Would it be safe for us to both be stoned for the first time in Amsterdam?

#2 I'd prefer to smoke it, she would probably prefer the edibles. Should/can I just buy a pre-rolled joint? What should she try for edibles?

#3 I've heard of places like Grey area and Barneys are good but are they good for first timers? Should we smoke it at these places or take it somewhere else?

#4 We are planning on using AirBnB to find a place. Should we try and find a place near one of the coffee shops?

#5 Anything else that I should be considering? What am I missing?

#1 - I don't think that's necessary if you take some reasonable precautions. Consider and accommodation close to, or part of your coffeeshop. Examples here are the Bulldog or Voyagers. If you choose a AirBnB pick one with a few coffeeshops within close walking distance. Have a sweet drink when you first indulge just in case, a small percentage of first timers may experience 'whitey', low blood sugar the drink can help with. Amsterdam is probably the safest place to get stoned for the first time because the natives are very accustomed to assisting 1st timers with problems.

#2 I agree with FastEddy on this one, stick to smoking at first. Take a drag or two and wait 20 minutes before pressing on, you should be fine. Pre rolled joints are fine to start. If you want to be extra cautious and can tolerate tobacco, choose a pre rolled mix of tobacco and cannabis.

#3 Grey Area has terrific product but I can't imagine a worse place to have your first smoke. Literally the size of a walk-in closet and often brimming with souls. Very claustrophobic. This plagues many Central area shops so scope out a few options for more space. I like Abraxas, 420, 1eHulp, Greenplace, and several Bulldogs around Central for more consistently available and ample space to hang out in though any of these can sometimes be overcrowded at times.

#4 See 1. I personally like the Central district but I travel without my spouse

#5 What are you doing while you are there? One good option is to pick up a couple of IAmsterdam cards. This provides transit and free or discounted entrance to many attractions. Churches, Museums, Canal Boat tours, etc.

[Fat_old_dwarf]

You might want to consider starting in de Pijp, less than 2.5km from the Dam, or 8 minutes on a tram if you're lazy. YoYo has a pleasant atmosphere and relatively weak outdoor weed. If you find you're enjoying it, you can stroll down the Albert Cuyp market to Katsu, where there's massive choice and knowledgeably budtenders to guide you.

[OneHighMofo]

You might want to consider starting in de Pijp, less than 2.5km from the Dam, or 8 minutes on a tram if you're lazy. YoYo has a pleasant atmosphere and relatively weak outdoor weed. If you find you're enjoying it, you can stroll down the Albert Cuyp market to Katsu, where there's massive choice and knowledgeably budtenders to guide you.

+1
This is exactly where I'd recommend the first-timer start too.

Coffeeshop YoYo caters to an older, quieter clientele; has a beautiful interior and a lovely selection of outdoor (grown) weed at very reasonable prices. A product that is certainly a lot more relaxing on the mind than the high potency indoor examples you'll find in most coffeeshops. Echoing Ed - I'd advise vaporising (Katsu has one for use that the staff will show you how to use) or smoke pure (unless you're already a tobacco smoker). If you're a joint-rolling noobie, buy a little glass spoon pipe at katsu, buy a pre-rolled joint or better yet; ask a fellow patron to roll you a number. I've lost count of the joints I've rolled for strangers in Coffeeshops - always a pleasure

Always start slowly; take a small 2-3 second toke and wait 20 minutes. A little glass spoon pipe is PERFECT for taking tiny hits.
Have a drink, have a chat. See how you get on - the sugary drink advice given above is golden.

Many smokers that have been around the block a bit prefer the 'mellower' high of relatively low-strength hashish to weed. Katsu have a great selection of hashes and cater to a slightly older crowd. You'll be well looked after there.
Closer to the centre, you might find Coffeeshop Mr K and Co, Paradox, La Tertulia or Coffeeshop Solo have similar ambiences and patronage. Tertulia also specialise in outdoor and have a lovely canalside location. *edit* apparently Mr K and Co now have a range of bio-organic outdoor too.

If you're both first-timers - my recommendation would be do it together. If you take things very slowly as mentioned above; you'll be surprised how subtle and safe the effects can be. In very small doses you'll experience very mild euphoria, probably get the giggles and feel incredibly relaxed. Injesting larger amounts will change the experience with a wild variety of effects - first timers often recant almost psychedelic profound experiences.

Don't be rushed along by others; and don't try to mimic others intake. Go at your own pace and you'll be fine . If you're particularly susceptible to the effects of Cannabis you'll wonder how in hell your fellow coffeeshop patrons are ripping huge bong hits or smoking full grams of strong weed in pure fat joints.

If things do take a turn for the worse psychologically, stop ingesting immediately and get that sugary drink inside you; perhaps take some fresh air. You'll find coffeeshop staff at their absolute best when this happens - I've never seen it handled badly. You'll be feeling much better in 10-20 minutes or so.

Be reassured by the fact that Cannabis is incredibly easy to titrate into tiny doses when inhaling smoke or vapour (by contrast: not so when eating - which is a one way ticket to a much faster, stronger and longer ride that can catch many seasoned smokers off guard). With edibles - the key is start VERY small and wait 2-3 hours before injesting more. Even if you're convinced that the effects aren't strong enough be aware they can take a long time to become active and are cumulative because the effects are so long lasting. Exercise caution.

Most importantly: never be afraid to ask! You're on the right path already
Welcome, ask away!

[notsofasteddie]

#5 Anything else that I should be considering? What am I missing?

Thanks in advance for the help.

Do Not Mix With Alcohol!!

[LLMReb]

This thread is fantastic! I need to smoke a bit, then I'll contribute. Idontknow, everyone contributing thus far is a really good poster and provides very helpful knowledge.

1. Big fan of CS Yo-Yo.

2. Go to Paradox for the best prerolled joints.

3. Smoke during the day.

4. Order something sweet to drink with your smoke.

5. Get high together!!!

Plan your next trip, b/c if you are like most of us, you will pine away the year for a return to AMS.

[Fat_old_dwarf]

I second the advice about not mixing smoking with alcohol, at least until you know more about how you react to cannabis, and even then. You can drink in most countries without difficulty, so why bother in the one place you can openly smoke without hassle? Also, most problems with cannabis I've seen generally involve other substances as well.

Rather than pre-rolls, you might want to consider a pipe. You can pick up a no-frills functional metal or wooden one at any of hundreds of places for around €5. Put small amount of weed and/or hash in pipe (no real need for a grinder if you have fingers, or you can borrow one), smoke, repeat as desired. With a joint you might be tempted to smoke the whole thing in one go when you don't really need to or should, and in any case a lot of it is wasted. (I have no idea why more people don't do this, and can only assume herd instinct. Pipes are simpler to use and to regulate, and you save money. What are the arguments for joints, apart from being easier to smoke on the street, which isn't an issue here?)

[Nuggz]

I second the advice about not mixing smoking with alcohol, at least until you know more about how you react to cannabis, and even then. You can drink in most countries without difficulty, so why bother in the one place you can openly smoke without hassle? Also, most problems with cannabis I've seen generally involve other substances as well.

Rather than pre-rolls, you might want to consider a pipe. You can pick up a no-frills functional metal or wooden one at any of hundreds of places for around €5. Put small amount of weed and/or hash in pipe (no real need for a grinder if you have fingers, or you can borrow one), smoke, repeat as desired. With a joint you might be tempted to smoke the whole thing in one go when you don't really need to or should, and in any case a lot of it is wasted. (I have no idea why more people don't do this, and can only assume herd instinct. Pipes are simpler to use and to regulate, and you save money. What are the arguments for joints, apart from being easier to smoke on the street, which isn't an issue here?)

As a yank residing long-time in Europe I wanna chime on your last posed questions about European consumption methods/habits.

I think the root of all of it can be attributed to the prevalence of Hash (over grass) in the heyday of the hippies (and thus the large-scale advent of cannabis coming into the shores of Europe).

Now, it's been established that the because hash needed to be mixed with the tobacco to smoke it in a joint, that that's what led to the "spliffing" habit still extant in Euros today.

Of course there's a bit of presupposition in between those two points. What led the Euros to decide to adopt the joint (over pipe/bong) as their vessel for consumption, those decades ago when cannabis first started showing up in larger volumes? Some old-school Euros have pointed at US pop culture, and that at that time (and from what I gather from older fellow countrymen, and older media i.e. movies/shows/books portraying or made in that era) joints where still the primary consumption method for US stoners as weed was cheap and in abundance.

The Euros saw this portrayal of old-school American joint smoking, and wished to emulate it, hence the establishment of joint-smoking tradition for Euros.

For the longest time, with the development of Amsterdam in its glory-days and the (couldn't be more wrong) perceived inferiority of US-grown weed, Euros always tried to defend their tobacco use with some petty claim like "oh our weed is just so much stronger than yours, too strong, so we cut it with tobacco", again not true at all, just bad excuse making.

Point is the habit stuck throughout the years, and excuses still range from tobacco helping it burn better to more of the same. I also hypothesize that part of what made this spliff habit persist so well, was the addictive properties of nicotine, I can't tell you how many "non-cigarette" smoking Euro stoners convince themselves they have no addiction to tobacco, I posit that it creates quite an addicting mix with a distinct high that Euros are just so smitten with.

In my experience also Euros can't really handle smoking pure joints, much less pipes/bongs as it is heavily cough-inducing and excessively potent for them. Whenever they smoke with me they're always lagging a step or two behind out of their element from pure unadulterated cannabis.

Lastly, I think the established normality of joint for cannabis-consumption has been so ingrained that any pipe looks quite sinister to them, akin to a crack/meth pipe (I've seen their leers in public, so I know this to be a least partially true), so that kinda scares them away from adopting new methods.

Oh and I guess I left out another important part of this story, which is the shift in America from joints-to-"bowls". With American gardeners being the vanguard of sinsemilla, potent weed was showing up (in America) arguably before in ever was seen in Amsterdam. With more carefully grown product, and higher-potency, a means for tapering consumption (in one-go) and better conserving one's stash was needed, and that gave way to the rise in popularity of the "bowl" in the states. It's weird I think us (maybe Canada) are some of the only countries that have really caught on to smoking out of pipes.

As I'm away on Holiday atm that is indeed what I'm employing to get my fix (can't be beat for traveling), but at home it's almost always dabbing, vaping and the occasional pure joint.

[idontknow]

Rather than pre-rolls, you might want to consider a pipe. You can pick up a no-frills functional metal or wooden one at any of hundreds of places for around €5. Put small amount of weed and/or hash in pipe (no real need for a grinder if you have fingers, or you can borrow one), smoke, repeat as desired. With a joint you might be tempted to smoke the whole thing in one go when you don't really need to or should, and in any case a lot of it is wasted. (I have no idea why more people don't do this, and can only assume herd instinct. Pipes are simpler to use and to regulate, and you save money. What are the arguments for joints, apart from being easier to smoke on the street, which isn't an issue here?)

With a pipe do you light it and just take a couple of hits off it and then repack when you are ready for another hit?

[OneHighMofo]

Rather than pre-rolls, you might want to consider a pipe. You can pick up a no-frills functional metal or wooden one at any of hundreds of places for around €5. Put small amount of weed and/or hash in pipe (no real need for a grinder if you have fingers, or you can borrow one), smoke, repeat as desired. With a joint you might be tempted to smoke the whole thing in one go when you don't really need to or should, and in any case a lot of it is wasted. (I have no idea why more people don't do this, and can only assume herd instinct. Pipes are simpler to use and to regulate, and you save money. What are the arguments for joints, apart from being easier to smoke on the street, which isn't an issue here?)

With a pipe do you light it and just take a couple of hits off it and then repack when you are ready for another hit?

Bingo - pack a small (pea sized) bowl, reload when you're ready. I definitely support this advice. A small pipe is 100% the best way to go.
Also - on the subject of not mixing with Alcohol. For me (and maybe I'm being super careful here) but I try not to mix Cannabis with too much caffeine either. I'm rather susceptible to said substance though. Just a thought!

Oh and:

Point is the habit stuck throughout the years, and excuses still range from tobacco helping it burn better to more of the same. I also hypothesize that part of what made this spliff habit persist so well, was the addictive properties of nicotine, I can't tell you how many "non-cigarette" smoking Euro stoners convince themselves they have no addiction to tobacco, I posit that it creates quite an addicting mix with a distinct high that Euros are just so smitten with.

100% agreed. From personal experience. Weed was a gateway drug to tobacco for me - took me 10 years to shake the habit in which time I was CONVINCED that I was addicted to weed. Ridiculously un-selfaware in hindsight. Pure stupidity. Stay away from the Cancer Kush!

[Fat_old_dwarf]

With a pipe do you light it and just take a couple of hits off it and then repack when you are ready for another hit?

Yep, and you may not even need to repack it. I generally put a small mix of whatever strains I'm smoking, take a hit, then cover the pipe with a small coin so as not to let it burn, then relight it when I'm ready. Pretty much like having a beer and pausing to chat or fiddle with your phone between sips. A single gram can last most of a day that way, and I'm a seasoned smoker (though everyone's different when it comes to tolerance).

I once saw a local (!) go into Utopia, buy several grams and proceed to roll a massive and unbelievably sloppy joint, mixed with Golden Virginia of all things (mixed smokers generally use cigarettes, and I've never seen a Dutch person smoke GV). I know it didn't affect me directly, but I couldn't help seeing it as a minor tragedy.

[Nuggz]

Oh yeah back to to the topic at hand (whoops!)

Dwarf offers sound advice, as OHMF seconded (and I as well), I would even urge you to emulate her consumption methods a step further, and maybe even start with some nice import hash. A good cheap one, but of respectable quality and moderate potency is the King Hassan from 2e Kamer/Dampkring - Haarlemerstraat, at 6 euros per gram it's certainly a steal. More elaboration on my reasoning for this advice – import hash has pretty much the highest CBD-levels of any cannabis product you buy (in which the CBD hasn't been directly isolated or concentrated), CBD is a known "anti-psychotic" which basically means it has a modulating effect on the interaction of THC within your mind's own endocannabinoid system. In English – it basically offers a much more relaxed, and in my experience (and many other's) is less prone to induce-whities (even in more potent import samples) than is the whacky grass.

If you chose to follow this advice I recommend a basic glass "spoon" piece or a small acrylic bong, both of which I'm utilizing at the moment, the glass spoon for the notion of glass being the smoothest, the bong because it's actually kinda of smoother via the water-filtration aspect. Either of those fitted with a a metal "mesh" screen, wherein the hash is broken into the smallest "crumbs" or "mouse-turds" possible and a little bit (to be more visual the piece that is to be further broken down into said crumbs/turds, should be as OHMF said about the size of a pea, or a touch bigger at most) is sprinkled over the screen and inhaled, then rinse and repeat as desired.

[Willjay]

Great advice here, there are a lot of coffee shops walk around the city with the ACD map and find a shop that makes you feel comfortable then pack a bowl puff puff pause have fun enjoy your trip, Amsterdam has so much to offer