A short glossary of the words you will hear and see in Amsterdam coffeeshops, in English and Dutch.

About the terms

Coffeeshop menus and conversations use a mix of English, Dutch and slang. This list explains the ones you are most likely to meet.

Products

  • Weed, wiet, flower. The dried cannabis flower that is smoked or vaporised.
  • Hash, hasj. Cannabis resin, pressed into blocks or crumbled. Often smoked with tobacco in a joint, or on its own in a pipe or vaporizer.
  • Nederwiet. Cannabis grown in the Netherlands.
  • Pre-roll, voorgedraaid. A joint that has already been rolled.
  • Space cake, edible. A baked good or sweet made with cannabis.
  • Rosin, solventless. Extract made from heat and pressure, without chemical solvents.

Types and effects

  • Sativa. Commonly described as energising and uplifting.
  • Indica. Commonly described as relaxing and heavy.
  • Hybrid. A mix of the two.
  • Landrace. A strain that developed in one region over a long time and has not been crossed with others.
  • Terpenes. Natural aroma compounds that give strains their scent and flavour.
  • THC and CBD. The best-known compounds in cannabis. THC is the main cause of the high, while CBD is not intoxicating.

At the counter

  • Gram. The usual unit for buying flower and hash.
  • Budtender. The person who serves you and can help you choose.
  • Joint. Cannabis rolled in paper, smoked on its own or with tobacco.
  • Spliff. A joint mixed with tobacco. Tobacco cannot be smoked indoors in Dutch coffeeshops.
  • Vaporizer. A device that heats cannabis without burning it.
  • Bong, pipe. Devices for smoking, sometimes available to borrow.

Slang

  • Stoned, high. Feeling the effects of cannabis.
  • Munchies. A strong appetite after using cannabis.
  • Couch-lock. A very relaxed, heavy feeling that makes you want to stay put.
  • Green out. To feel dizzy or ill from too much. Drink water, eat and sit down.
  • Cali. Cannabis imported from California, usually sold at a higher price.

Dutch words

  • Coffeeshop. A licensed venue where cannabis is sold. Not the same as a café that serves coffee.
  • Gedoogbeleid. The tolerance policy that lets coffeeshops operate. Read our guide to gedoogbeleid.
  • Smartshop. A shop selling legal herbal products, including magic truffles.