Amsterdam is known for many things, and coffee shops are definitely one of them. They are part of the culture of the Netherlands. That's why I spoke to the manager of a well-known coffee shop.

This is an interview with the 35-year-old manager of the "Easy Times" in Amsterdam. Nathan has been doing this job for a year. I had the pleasure of speaking to him in April 2024:

Hi Nathan, thanks for your time! You open the coffee shop very early.

Yes, at seven in the morning. We have a lot of people who work the night shift and they like to come in for a joint afterwards. But there are a lot of people who have just arrived. Tourists whose hotel room isn't ready yet. They just leave their luggage at the hotel and treat themselves to some relaxation with us first.

I'm sure you have a lot of people who have never tried it before. Have you had any bad experiences with "beginners"?

We have a lot of guests who have no experience with weed. Sometimes people think it's just a very light drug, nothing heavy. But it certainly can be. Everyone reacts differently to it. Over the years, I've also found that weed has gotten stronger and stronger. So if you've never tried it before, it's important to start with half a joint or just a few puffs.

Sometimes people turn white as a sheet and have problems with their circulation. They may feel nauseous and vomit. That often happens. But if you give them something sweet, such as a Coke, they quickly get back on their feet. They then get to know Dutch culture with a mighty bang. So if you notice that it's getting too much: Quickly drink a Red Bull or similar, it brings you back down a bit.

You have many varieties on the "menu"

Yes, for the experienced smokers we have a wide selection, most prefer the self-rolling joints. If this is a new experience, there are also pre-rolled joints. Or weed in edible form, baked into cakes. Edibles. This works more slowly. If you smoke cannabis, it works immediately, but if you eat it, it takes about an hour before you notice anything. Some people get impatient and then consume more ... that usually goes wrong.

Where did you get your specialist knowledge? Are there any courses or similar?

*laughs* No, the experience comes with all those years in Holland. When you grow up here, you automatically come into contact with weed. I started experimenting when I was 15/16 years old. You try different strains, different strengths. That's how you become an expert. I know the entire menu at Easy Times, after all I have to be able to tell people something when they ask.

This must be something of a dream job....

I really like my job because I get to meet lots of new people. It's great to see families, groups of friends and people from different nations united here. It's great to be part of the culture of the Netherlands.

You mentioned families ... There is an age limit, isn't there?

Yes, of course. We only sell from the age of 18. But sometimes parents take their children to us when they are old enough.

Almost like an initiation ritual. In Austria, it used to be customary for the father to give his son his first beer ...

You can certainly compare the two. It's a bit of a shame ... many countries have now legalized cannabis, it's not that special anymore. They used to come because it was something out of the ordinary. But even though it's now legal in more and more countries around the world - people still come to us to sit on the terrace and watch the boats go by. Being a little high is a nice experience, I think.

On your website you draw attention to possible dependence on weed.

It's really rare, but it does happen. That's why we draw attention to it. But I think an addiction to nicotine is worse: you smoke one every few minutes when you're heavily addicted. If you smoke a joint, you're fine for the next two hours. If you smoke another joint too quickly, you simply fall asleep. Nevertheless, any form of addiction is a bad thing.

Is there anything that people outside the Netherlands don't know about coffee shops?

Many people assume that all coffee shops are shabby, perhaps even run-down and with dodgy customers. That's definitely not the case. We are open to everyone, we have many different customers. And we also make good coffee. Some people come here just to drink coffee.

Here is the link to Easy Times

*Abridged and translated from English.