Amsterdam Cannabis Cup - Top Amsterdam Weed At The Cannabis Cup Amsterdam

The Amsterdam Cannabis Cup is one of the most famous, world-wide events around Amsterdam weed and hash. Since 1987, it's held every year in Amsterdam during the week of Thanksgiving (November).

Many foreigners travel to Amsterdam specifically to attend this six-day event. The 2010 event (21-25 November) will turn the place into one big Amsterdam cannabis cafe.

At the heart of the event are the prizes (Cannabis Cups) that are awarded to top cannabis products in several categories. There are also concerts, lectures, a big expo and a lot of socializing and smoking, of course.

The Amsterdam Cannabis Cup is sponsored by companies selling cannabis related products, and endorsed by individuals and organizations campaigning for legalization of cannabis. Sometimes it's also criticized as a pretty commercial event, though.

See This Cannabis Cup Video For A Great Impression:



Winning The Cannabis Cup

Attendees who have bought a judge pass, can vote to award Cannabis Cups. For practical and legal reasons, many contenders are Dutch 'coffee shops' (since cannabis is decriminalized in the Netherlands). Some Amsterdam coffee shops - among them Barney's, Greenhouse and Dampkring - are especially prominent among the winners each year.

Judge passes cost 199 to 250 US dollar pre-sale (the later the more expensive), and 250 euro at the door. In 2008, no less than 2,300 judge passes were sold. It's also possible to buy single ticket admission for 30 euros (at the door only).

Origins

The Amsterdam Cannabis Cup was founded in 1987 by Steven Hager, editor of High Times, a New York-based magazine dedicated to the cannabis subculture. He had traveled to Amsterdam to interview the Australian owner of the first Dutch cannabis-seed company.

Since 1976, the sale and use of small quantities of marihuana or hash has been decriminalized. Throughout the Netherlands, private 'coffee shops' which obtained a municipal license are allowed to sell weed and hash to everyone above 18, provided they don't advertise and sell no alcohol. Individuals are allowed to own up to 30 grams of cannabis and up to 5 hemp plants, for personal use. This made Amsterdam a logical place to hold the annual Cannabis Cup.

However, large scale growing or trading of cannabis is still banned in the Netherlands, and actively prosecuted. Other drugs besides marihuana and hash are completely banned in the Netherlands.

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