Coffee & Kush
When it comes to international cannabis culture - Amsterdam’s iconic coffeeshops put the city on the map. Here’s how.
High History
〰️
High History 〰️
Starting in the 70’s, Amsterdam’s iconic coffeeshops have been shaping the city in incredible ways.
Humble beginnings in a squatted-out bakery created an entire network of cultured cannabis clubs that would change the city’s international image forever. Today, we’re looking at how Amsterdam mastered the art of the smoke lounge.
Coffeeshops
〰️
Coffeeshops 〰️
The History
When it comes to cannabis history, one thing is usually for sure - the hippies started everything. And although it may not be apparent at first, that is true for Amsterdam's cannabis coffeeshops too.
In the 1960's The Hippie Trail changed Amsterdam. A multi-country pilgrimage about all things progressive and peaceful, The Trail led hippies along a spiritual conquest from Western Europe to the far reaches of Nepal and Thailand.
Across the 60’s and 70’s it influenced everything from music, fashion, and of course - cannabis culture.
One of the most popular places to depart on this ganja journey was Amsterdam, already establishing it as a large Western player in the cannabis sphere. And in the 70s, that finally began to blossom.
In 1972 a man named Wenard Bruining opened Mellow Yellow - Amsterdam’s very first coffeeshop.
Set up in secret out of a squatted bakery, Mellow Yellow opened in a time where cannabis was still illegal in Amsterdam. In its earlier years, Mellow Yellow operated a lot like a cannabis speakeasy - disguised quite literally as a coffeeshop.
This surprising intersection is what allowed cannabis coffeeshops to become the iconic symbols we know today. By crossing cannabis with cafe aesthetics, coffeeshops became places for not just for cannabis consumption - but legitimate social spaces as well.
This was definitely intentional.
Though not many photos of inside Mellow Yellow exist, the ones that do show a bright yellow interior, lined with leather black booths. Walls were covered head to toe in impressionist Dali-like art. Perfect for hosting groups and sparking long conversations.
Paired with the sound of vinyl and a never-ending hot-box of smoke - Mellow Yellow was an alcohol-free cannabis haven for artists and intellectuals alike. A place where one could acquire quality cannabis and good conversation.
Not long after Mellow Yellow opened its doors coffeeshops began sweeping Amsterdam throughout the latter half of the 1970’s. Protected by the Dutch separation of ‘soft’ and ‘hard’ drugs, they were seen as opportunities safer spaces for people to experience and explore cannabis.
By taking advantage of the idea of gezelligheid - a Dutch cultural concept close to ‘inviting’ or ‘atmospheric’, centered around comradery and a cozy sense of ambience - coffeeshops captivated Amsterdam’s growing cannabis crowd, changing the city forever.
Wanna keep up with all things cannabis
PLUS score some CannaBible freebies?
Click below to subscribe to
Cyphr ’s free weekly newsletter -
for all the best content
cannabis has to offer.
The culture
By the 90's the culture of coffeeshops had exploded in Amsterdam, earning the city a reputation of a stoner hot-spot. Most of these coffeeshops were independent and locally owned - infusing them with a distinct sense of culture and community.
Each one had its own tailored aesthetic in order to cater to a wide array of cannabis consumers, from spiritual wanderers to reggae lovers and high-like intellectuals alike. Lots of the design aesthetics we associate with cannabis today found their humble beginnings here, with many shops being intentionally small to maintain an air of intimacy and gezelligheid.
One of the best things about coffeeshops at the time was how well they were received by locals. Quickly these shops became a common ground for both regulars and traveling tokers. They displayed a side of Amsterdam that was progressive and open-minded, fueling their tourism industry just as much as its cannabis industry. Worldwide the city became synonymous with cannabis freedom.
Thought there was one type of person who loved the coffeeshops most - The breeders.
Coffeeshops arguably made Amsterdam the king of European Cannabis, not just in sales but in genetics and innovation too. The coffeeshop model created not only a space of cannabis community, but one of industry networking.
Amsterdam’s bustling coffeeshops became the perfect place for anyone looking into breeding and genetics. Before then if you were hoping to get your hands on seeds of the latest strain, you simply had to ‘know a guy’.
In the 80’s, the city’s network of coffeeshops inspired and grew a community of competitive and close-knit cannabis breeders that would take root in Amsterdam. Throughout the 90’s and into the 2000’s many of these breeders and seed banks became hot-beds for iconic, award winning strains - like the classic Kush strain.
Today, over 40 years later, many of the OG operators are still in business - like Sensi Seed Bank, which operates today as the world’s largest cannabis seed bank.
Amsterdam still holds the title of hometown for many of the latest and greatest strains - consistently winning international cannabis competitions like the High Times Cannabis Cup. Because of the city’s collaborative spirit alongside the prevalence of coffeehouses, Amsterdam became the center of innovation when it came to cannabis industry and culture. Now, over half a century after Mellow Yellow opened its doors, that’s still true.
You can still see the effects of all that - right on the streets of Amsterdam today.
The Legacy
It's incredible to think about how one tiny yellow shop could create such a lasting legacy. A legacy that teaches us that cannabis can be more than just dispensaries.
Even today, Amsterdam's remaining coffeeshops provide an experience that seamlessly strings culture, community, and novelty into one.
Coffeeshops aren’t just places to purchase weed. They’re 3rd spaces as well.
For decades they have been creative hubs and cultural exchange centers, the type that can only be accessed through the wonders of cannabis.
By being centers of community instead of commerce, coffeeshops do what dispensaries can’t - or won’t - do. They’re a source of information and harm reduction that actually connects to cannabis smokers. They offer a way to connect with other high-minded people, no matter where you are in your cannabis journey - while providing reliable education and quality product.
Their localized nature decenters brand loyalty in a way that actually appeals to regular smokers. They’re cannabis epicenters, part of a culture and community only cannabis can create.
Though cannabis in Amsterdam has been shifting away from coffeeshops in the recent years, cannabis coffeeshops and smoking lounges are still a hot-topic in the world of legalization. Especially in emerging markets in places like New York. For good reason.
High History
〰️
High History 〰️
Coffeeshops were revolutionary. They provided something that is sorely needed in today’s world - a space that’s centered on speaking, smoking, and brainstorming, instead of spending.
By centering the experience over the product, Amsterdam’s coffeeshops have earned them a staying power that lasts way beyond the latest strain.
Coffeeshops are something the entire cannabis industry could learn from. While the world opens up to cannabis and more countries begin to legalize, coffeeshops - and smoke lounges across the world - present an amazing opportunity: to be the world’s most progressive 3rd spaces.
Ones that enriches communities, provides education, and develops the cannabis industry - while avoiding the corruption of commodification or commercialization.
More than just cultural phenomena, Amsterdam’s coffeeshops show us exactly how smoke lounges can change and shape not just cannabis culture, but the soul of an entire city. On spark at a time.
Click below to subscribe to Cyphr ’s
free weekly newsletter -
for all the best content cannabis has to offer.