Does anyone smoke weed? :)

If you do, check this list : www.listal.com/list/weed-hash-and-coffeeshops

I did when I was young and stupid, I grew up.

Look, where I live (in the Netherlands), it is tolerated, just like in Switzerland and some US states.

On top of that, my wife is chronically ill, she can't work anymore, and it helps her against the pain, she sleeps better after smoking and she takes less medicine.

Finally, do you drink? Well, I don't and if you like to drink a beer or whisky from time to time, why not? We are all grown-ups and we are entitled to choose our own poison. It's too bad that drinking, even though it is much more damageable, is still more socially accepted than smoking a joint, which is after all pretty harmless.

I have no issue with it being legal, I have no issue with it being used for medicinal purposes, I agree that alcohol does more damage... but I don't have an avatar promoting drink or drugs... unless you fancy smoking an onion.

I had a ganja pendant when I was young, I probably had a t-shirt or two, posters even. I grew up though, and now I see no need to promote the use of such things.

I chose something else... be a funny 'un... smoke an onion.

I would like to point out that onion is not tolerated at all where I live!
When I eat onion rings, wife complains all the time ;)

Did you actually read my avatar?

It says: 'Marijuana! Helping people getting over their problems easily since the dawn of time! Illegal since 1906 for doubtful reasons!'

I'm not actually promoting the fact that everybody should be smoking weed all the day, I'm promoting the fact that smoking, like drinking, is not necessarily a bad thing as long as you do it responsibly and I just think it's too bad that people have such preconceived ideas about it.

Take yourself, for example, instead of saying 'I did when I was young but I don't feel the need to do it anymore', you felt the need to point out that you were 'stupid' as if every weed smokers is some kind of idiot.

@Sex,Ganja&
You are right it's not necessarily a bad thing as long as you do it responsibly, but the problem is there are lots of people who do not act responsibly, especially when they are "young and stupid"! I guess that's what Onion Jack meant, correct me if I am mistaken. That does not imply *every* weed smokers is some kind of idiot!

Anyways, after reading your list I have a gazillion questions, if you don't mind. :)
Can you smoke joints in coffee-shops, or in any public places in The Netherlands, or you just buy weed and take it home?
Has it to be somehow concealed when you are in the street? Can the police fine you if you smoke it in the street, or in your car? Can you grow plants in your house? Does it depend on the city where you live?
More questions! Are there age restrictions for buying it? Do you have to be legally resident in The Netherlands?
Also, I did not get this sentence of yours
"The coffee-shop I'm currently using right now. I have actually never been inside..."
How do you use it, if you never were inside? Do you order online?

I know, I am curious! :D

@The O.P.
Is your wife saying I smell bad? I resemble that remark!

@The O.P.,

I will try to answer your questions ;)

1.Can you smoke joints in coffee-shops, or in any public places in The Netherlands, or you just buy weed and take it home?
You can smoke it in the coffee-shops, in the street or at home. It is not allowed in bars or restaurants


2. Has it to be somehow concealed when you are in the street?
No, you don't have to conceal it as long as you don't bother anyone.


3. Can the police fine you if you smoke it in the street, or in your car?
No, they can't, again, as long as you don't bother anyone.

4. Can you grow plants in your house?
You can have a few plants for your own consumnation but you are not allowed to have 100s of plants to sell it.

5. Does it depend on the city where you live?
No, you can't do it where ever you want but growing plants is a complete different kind of ball game.

6. Are there age restrictions for buying it?
Of course! you must be at least 18 years old.

7. Do you have to be legally resident in The Netherlands?
According to the law, I think 'Yes' but there are still 1000s of tourists coming in and easily purchasing some stuff.

8. Also, I did not get this sentence of yours
"The coffee-shop I'm currently using right now. I have actually never been inside..."
How do you use it, if you never were inside?
Well, most of the coffee-shops work like that : at the entry, you have either a counter or a bar and if you just want to buy some weed, you just go to the counter, buy your stuff without actually going inside. Like a pizzeria for example. ;)

9. Do you order online?
No and I don't think it's possible :)

Well, I was a big smoker (when I used to be young and smart) and I think that your list is pretty awesome.

At last, something original on Listal!

Yes it is interesting to learn something new especially from first-hand experience, whatever you think is right or wrong.
This is not to mean smoking weed should be promoted or glamorized in any way as something that is all-fun and no-risk, because I don't think it is. Personally I don't smoke pot and wouldn't like my family to smoke. I wouldn't promote drinking alcohol either.

However, it is a fact that people do use "drugs", like it or not. Seems to me that Dutch rules make sense, if they say for instance it is OK you can grow a few plants of marijuana at home for your own consumption (not hundreds of plants to sell it). Having your own plants is much better than buying something you don't know what it contains exactly.

It makes sense allowing commercial access to cannabis in proper shops rather than buying from shady drug dealers, because you can control shops better than dealers.

It makes sense not to treat like criminals people smoking in coffee-shops, in the street or at home, as long as they are of legal age and they don't bother anyone (like, say, no car driving under the influence, which I would punish harshly).

Perhaps being "tolerant" like the Dutch is more effective against drug abuse than waging "war on drugs"? Let's take a look at the facts. I found this page of statistics comparing The Netherlands and the U.S.A.
Lifetime use of marijuana in the U.S.A. 41.5%
Lifetime use of marijuana in The Netherlands 25.7%

@The O.P.,

Exactly!

The big problem, here, is how do you define a drug and how should you handle it?

In my opinion, the way soft drugs are handled by the Netherlands is really the best way to go but, unfortunately, there is a lot of pressure, from within the Netherlands and from the European Union, to change the law and, in the mean time, probably half of the coffee-shops had to close.

If I understand correctly, you actually still have the prohibition on paper, but you don't enforce it!
or something like that :)

@The O.P.,

I'm not really familiar with the Dutch law on this matter but it's something like that, indeed.

;)

@ O.J.,..I darned near sprayed my lager one the screen when I read "smoking an onion!" I have to give the "drug and alcohol" speech to the new volunteers and career staff in my fire department and the list of items used to make bongs is endless. I have to throw a onion into my presentation next time to see what reaction I get! :-)