Category: Amsterdam

The Border | How many coffeeshops are there in Amsterdam?

You probably already noticed that there are a lot of coffeeshops in the center of Amsterdam. But how many coffeeshops are there in Amsterdam? At the moment Amsterdam has 164 coffeeshops. If you consider that in the whole of the Netherlands there are in total 355 coffeeshops, then you can say that this is a very large number.

Amsterdam supplies a significant portion of the demand for cannabis and space cakes for Dutch residents and foreign tourists. But what are the prospects for the number of coffeeshops in Amsterdam in the coming years?

How many coffeeshops in Amsterdam have disappeared?

The number of coffeeshops in the Amsterdam metropolitan area has shrunk considerably over the years. In 1993, Amsterdam still had more than 400 coffeeshops. This decreased in 2000 to 283 shops. And then there were only 222 coffeeshops in Amsterdam in 2011.

Currently, we only have 164 coffeeshops left. For what reason have so many coffeeshops disappeared over the years?

Criteria for tolerance of coffeeshops

The number of coffeeshops in the capital has been strongly related to the criteria coffeeshops need to abide by. In the early 1990s, a decision was made to introduce the tolerance criteria for coffeeshops nationwide. All coffeeshops had to meet these criteria in order to stay open.

The criteria that a coffeeshop must abide by are:

The coffeeshop is not allowed to advertise the coffee shop;
No hard drugs may be held and/or sold in the coffeeshop;
The coffeeshop may not cause any nuisance, such as parking nuisance around the coffeeshop, noise nuisance and/or loitering customers in front of the coffeeshop itself;
No soft drugs may be sold to youth under the age of 18.
Per transaction, only personal use (up to 5 grams) may be sold;
The coffeeshop is only allowed to have a small commercial stock (no more than 500 grams) on hand;
The coffeeshop must be an alcohol-free establishment;

In addition to these criteria that apply to all coffeeshops in the Netherlands, municipalities can establish additional policy criteria for local coffeeshops.

More stringent approach since 2012

The municipality of Amsterdam made use of the possibility to set up additional criteria for coffeeshops. Cannabis smoking bans were introduced in various locations, coffeeshops in the Red Light District were closed down and a distance criterion between coffeeshops and schools for secondary education was introduced. As a result of all these measures a large number of coffeeshops had to close down.

While the demand for cannabis increased, fewer coffeeshops existed to meet this demand. In some neighborhoods, this has led to street dealing. This can only be prevented by supplying enough coffeeshops to keep up with the demand. But how many coffeeshops with quality cannabis does Amsterdam need?

The number of local cannabis users

A study revealed that the municipality of Amsterdam has about 73,000 current users of cannabis. But since the Amsterdam coffeeshops are also visited by users who live just beyond the city limits, we should also take into account the 22,650 current users of cannabis from neighboring municipalities. All these users could potentially visit a coffeeshop in Amsterdam.

How often do we visit a coffeeshop?

But of course not all cannabis users go to a neighborhood coffeeshop. Research shows that 11% grow their own good cannabis and thus provide for their own needs. Users who fully satisfy their own needs will be less inclined to visit a coffeeshop.

Of the cannabis users in and around this city, almost one-third (30%) visit a coffeeshop daily and over two-fifths (43%) two to three times a week.

This means that every cannabis user who doesn’t grow it themselves visits a neighborhood coffeeshop on average 13 times a month. If we take into account only adult users, this means almost 1.5 million visits per month to Amsterdam coffeeshops.

Foreign tourists and the tourist coffeeshop

Research by the municipality of Amsterdam shows that the Amsterdam coffeeshops are also very popular among international visitors to the city center. Besides the fact that these visitors visit Amsterdam to come and walk or cycle through the city, 22% say they come to Amsterdam to visit a coffeeshop. In fact, for 57% of the tourists, the presence of coffeeshops plays an important role in their choice to come to Amsterdam.

Amsterdam attracts about 9.0 million visitors annually, of which 3 million of these visitors fall in the age category that likes to visit coffeeshops. In this category, 72% also appear to actually visit a coffeeshop during their stay in Amsterdam.

Increased coffeeshop visits

The 164 Amsterdam coffeeshops are together responsible for selling to about 2.75 million customers per month. It is expected that the demand for good-quality weed will increase in the coming years. This is because both the number of residents will increase as well as the number of foreign visitors. Whether the Amsterdam coffeeshops can continue to provide foreign tourists with a variety of weed depends on the Amsterdam coffeeshop policy.

Coffeeshop The Border

In our coffeeshop we will of course continue to provide both our local visitors and international guests with excellent weed. In our coffeeshop Amsterdam you can find the menu of The Border which showcases a great selection of cannabis. Check our current opening hours here. We look forward to seeing you soon in the best coffee shop in Amsterdam.

“Amsterdam’s coffee shop culture should be cherished”.

When you walk through the streets of Amsterdam you can smell it immediately: the smell of cannabis. It is something that has characterized Amsterdam as a city for years. When someone mentions cannabis they immediately think of Amsterdam. People come from far and wide to experience this coffee shop culture for themselves.

But what does the coffee shop culture actually entail? And why do so many residents of Amsterdam believe we should cherish it? Let’s take a look.

What do we mean by coffee shop culture?

By coffee shop culture we mean the atmosphere within the coffee shops and the behaviour of their visitors. A coffee shop is a place where people meet, have a chat, and make friends. All while enjoying a joint.

Amsterdam’s coffee shops bring life to the city. For many people, the coffee shops are part of their social life. Regular customers know the staff of their favorite coffee shop in Amsterdam well. They also talk to other visitors and get to know new visitors, such as tourists.

The tourist ban: an attack on the coffee shop culture

Recently the mayor of Amsterdam revealed that they are considering a tourist ban for the coffeeshops. This means that tourists will no longer have access to the coffeeshops in Amsterdam. This would reduce the nuisance caused by tourists in the city center.

The regulation received a lot of resistance from coffee shop lovers. Even people who do not use cannabis disagree with the regulation. By prohibiting tourists from entering the coffeeshops, they feel that the coffee shop culture will deteriorate.

Public opinion regarding the tourist ban

Many cannabis users are against the ban of tourists in coffeeshops. There is understanding for the reasons behind the ban, such as reducing nuisance. However, according to many coffee shop lovers this does not match the reality of the situation. They give the following reasons:

It is hypocritical

Opponents of the new regulation believe that the government is acting hypocritically. After all, the government itself decided to make cuts within certain sectors. The result is the following. The few tourists that cannot behave after visiting a coffee shop cannot be managed by the authorities. In the hope of solving this issue another way, the government is now criminalizing coffee shop culture. This is why the mayor is campaigning to ban tourists from coffee shops altogether.

Refusing tourists is discrimination

Furthermore, people argue that banning tourists is discrimination. After all, they are treated differently based on their origin. This generalization is based on a few cases where tourists have caused a nuisance in our capital. If one would generalize based on origin in other criminal activities, this would cause a lot of controversy.

Many residents of the capital are of the opinion that this regulation should not be implemented, especially in a liberal city like Amsterdam.

Alcohol is the real culprit

Another key point why cannabis users disagree with the mayor’s statement is the effect of alcohol. According to them, cannabis is not the culprit that leads to tourists causing nuisance, but alcohol rather is. Alcohol leads to vandalism, anti-social behavior, and crime every single year.

But tourists are not banned from entering pubs and clubs. This would perhaps have too much of an economic impact on the capital.

Cannabis will remain available

Additionally, the final point described by opponents of the regulation relates to the availability of cannabis. Even if cannabis causes some nuisance, banning access to coffee shops would not solve the problem. Cannabis is available everywhere in the capital, including on the streets. And street dealing to sell cannabis to tourists will only increase when tourists no longer have access to the legal way of buying drugs: the coffeeshop.

The government will then lose complete control of cannabis sales to tourists. And with a lack of enforcement, the expectation is that this cannot be managed by the authorities.

How important is the coffee shop culture to you?

Many people come to Amsterdam every year to experience the daily life of this liberal city. Should we, as citizens of Amsterdam, deny them such a big part of our culture? If you ask us, the coffee shop culture should be cherished.

Cherish the Amsterdam coffeeshop culture together with us at The Border: the coffeeshop next to the Amsterdam Forest.

Amsterdam Festivals: combine it with coffeeshop The Border!

Summer has arrived and that means there are many festivals in and around the capital Amsterdam. Two well-known festivals returning to the capital city in the coming month are the 909 festival and the Diynamic festival.

If you love techno, then these events are for you. Although drugs are strictly prohibited, more and more festival-goers are looking for some weed to smoke after the festival. They are looking for a good coffee shop in the vicinity of the festival location, ‘Het Amsterdamse Bos’. The Border is a coffee shop with the best quality products less than 100 meters from the festival site!

Upcoming festivals

909 festival

909 festival is a well-known techno festival in the southern part of the capital, near Amstelveen. The festival takes place on the 28th of May 2022 and has as many as 15 different music sets during the afternoon and evening. Since it’s the event’s 10th anniversary in 2022, and in the past two years the event has not been able to take place, this will be one to remember.

Diynamic Festival (Nobody is not loved)

Diynamic will be held a short week later. On June 4th, 2022, you and your friends can let loose with the latest dance sets from artists from all over the world. This year, Diynamic Festival will be held for the 8th time on one of the best festival grounds in the Dutch capital. Please note that the name of the festival has changed to Nobody is not loved.

Law surrounding drugs at festivals

It is common knowledge that there are a lot of drugs in circulation at Dutch festivals. But what is the official drug regulation at festivals, and specifically at 909 and Diynamic?

All festivals within the Netherlands have a strict policy when it comes to drugs. This is because it is determined by law that no drugs are allowed at events. This does not only include hard drugs, but also soft drugs like marijuana.

If drugs are found inside the festival, the organizers of the event can be fined substantial amounts of money for this. In addition, there are also consequences for those who carry drugs on them within the festival grounds.

Drug policy 909 and Diynamic

The drug policy for the 909 festival is the same as the policy of Diynamic.

At 909 and Diynamic, people are extensively checked upon arrival. This means that visitors are searched upon entry and bags are thoroughly checked. In many cases, there are also drug dogs present to help detect different types of drugs.

Do you have drugs with you? Then they must be thrown away before you enter the premises. There is a special drug bank where you can deposit your drugs. There are no further consequences if you do so prior to entry.

However, if you do attempt to bring drugs inside, or are caught within the festival grounds with drugs, then there are consequences. The festival security and staff will then hand you over to the authorities.

To avoid this risk, many people often take drugs before entering the grounds. But even if you have taken drugs or smoked weed beforehand, there may still be consequences. If this is noticed by any of the festival staff, you will be escorted out of the festival grounds immediately.

In reality, security is not always able to control this. Nevertheless, there is a risk associated with taking drugs in advance.

In short, bringing drugs to a festival is not wise and brings possible implications. Don’t want to miss the great music and performances? Then save your coffeeshop visit for later in the evening.

Visit the nearest coffeeshop

Exhausted after a day of dancing at a festival, come and relax at coffeeshop The Border Amsterdam. At less than 100 meters from the festival grounds, ‘Het Amsterdamse Bos’, you can enjoy different types of cannabis that will help you unwind after an active day. End the festival with friends by visiting The Border coffeeshop. Check our current opening hours here.