Coffeeshops, not to be confused with cafיs, have been a part of Amsterdam since the 1970s, when the Dutch government made a clear distinction in the law between 'hard' and 'soft' drugs. Unlike Amsterdam's fully legal smart shops, coffeeshops have always existed in a legal grey area. Today, Amsterdam's City Council, through agreement with the coffeeshop union Bond van Cannabis Detaillisten (BCD), allows coffeeshops to operate with the provision of set, non-transferable licences shown by the display of an official, green and white sticker in the window.
Amsterdam coffeehopsOne of the major events for coffeeshops in Amsterdam is the High Times Cannabis Cup, which takes place towards the end of November, during the week of Thanksgiving. This major smoking event usually leads to coffeeshop crawls and cannabis clouds throughout the city.