Amsterdam is a vibrant, eclectic city like no other, and home to a vast array of completely legal opportunities that, elsewhere, you might find yourself caught up in a little trouble getting mixed up with.
One, known by many most of the 20 million travellers who touch down in the city each year, is our sweet, aromatic, chilled out friend, Mary-Jane.
When visiting the city lit up in green (literally and metaphorically), you wouldn't be wrong in wanting to take home a little memorabilia, or, a 'green souvenir' to remember your not-so-memorable trip, but with different laws greeting you back home - what can you take without running into trouble?
Items you'd love to take, but probably shouldn't 🙅♀️
Sometimes you have to let go the ones you love, at least until your next visit...
- Bud
This is kind of a no-brainer, right? Enjoy your smoke while you're here, and regardless of the regulations on smoking in your destination country, do not try pass through airport security with any bud in your bag. That includes:
- Joints
- Half joints
- The crumbs left in the baggy you have squeezed in your wallet (yeah, you, we see you)
Our verdict: Avoid. A $10 bud is absolutely not worth the risk of missing a $300 flight - at the very least.
- Seeds
These are a tricky one, and the answer is pretty... hazey.
While many might tell you you can take seeds home with you because they're legal to possess in your home country, for a lot of nations it's likely illegal to travel with them, and doing so can certainly leave you in a bit of trouble. That aside, many countries do not view them as legal to possess so even if you were considering taking the risk, make sure you're up to date with your arrival destination's regulations.
Our verdict: Avoid. The rules are pretty grey, and the risk could be pretty big.
- Edibles
Firstly, there's a general rule you need to know about edibles: there's the pretty good ones, and then there's the not-so-good ones. If you're thinking about trying edibles during your trip come in and have a chat with our team about the best options for you.
In a lot of countries, possession of edibles is considered a misdemeanour and can land you a pretty heft fine if caught.
Our verdict: Avoid. You're better off keeping the edible experiences in Amsterdam.
What You Can Travel With 🙌
These are the stress-free smoke-related products we recommend taking home
- Grinders
Possibly the most useful tool to keep around in your travel bag. So long as your grinder doesn't contain traces of any bud, you're absolutely fine to travel to most countries with these, as traditionally the products intended use is to grind herbs of all types. May as well take one home for grandma too, right?
Our verdict: Check the regulations in the country you're travelling to, and to be safe from getting pulled up at security for sharp objects, we'd recommend putting these in your hold luggage.
As with grinders, there's a pretty simple rule here: make sure it's clean (preferably unused), and you should be good to go for a lot of destination countries. If you're worried about the delicacy of some products, we have a great range you can check out here.
Our verdict: Check the regulations in the country you're travelling to, and keep it clean!
- Merchandise
While you might get a second look from the security desk for wearing an 'OG kush' cap, there's nothing any airport officials can (or will) do about it. One of the best ways to remember a trip is a little merchandise - especially when it's branded with the city or coffeeshop you love.
