Legal Tips for Blowers

• Posted on October 18, 2009 at 4:03 pm

“Legal Tips for Blowers” — Government Enforced Marijuana Smoking?

Of course, everyone who smokes weed would definitely know HOW to smoke.  Whether it is being smoked LEGALLY or not… doesn’t make too big of a difference on the way it is being smoked, does it?  Or is that a trick question???

After reading a few more short sentences down this page, you will see a list that I made available for you.  This 11-point list contains the resolution to “key issues,” that the Dutch Government felt was necessary, for the people to know before smoking the joint that is.

I picked up a brightly colored yellow/black flyer last week when I was in a coffeeshop in Maastricht, Netherlands. This is across the enormous Atlantic Ocean and over 6,000km away from home…

11 Cannabis Tips provided by the Vereniging Officiele Coffeeshops Maastricht (VOCM) concerning the proper use of Hash & Marijuana.

“What do you know and what don’t you know?”

This is the exact heading of a wasp-colored 5” x 7” cannabis “tips-card” that I picked up in one of the coffeeshops here in Maastricht, Netherlands one day last week.  This is official documentation concerning the utilization of Hash & Marijuana.  It was provided by the VOCM, but mostly for the visitors of The Netherlands, who do not smoke cannabis on a regular basis.

Here are the 11 TIPS offered on the VOCM brochure (word for word):

• 1. You won’t solve your problems by smoking a joint.  You should only use cannabis for enjoyment.
• 2. There are different strengths of hash and marijuana, so ask the coffeeshop staff for information.  If you don’t know how strong it is, take a puff and then wait a few minutes before continuing.
• 3. Combining alcohol and cannabis can result in unpredictable effects, so be careful, particularly if you do not have much experience smoking cannabis.
• 4. Using cannabis can cause heart palpitations, sweating, and nausea.  Such symptoms are unpleasant, but not dangerous.  In some cases, you may feel ill or afraid.  Don’t Panic.  Find a quiet spot and eat/drink something sugary.  The worst will be over within an hour.
• 5. Cannabis temporarily influences your ability to think logically, your memory, and your ability to concentrate.  You should therefore not smoke cannabis if you need to go to school/college or work, or if you need to drive/cycle.
• 6. Don’t smoke cannabis if you are pregnant or if you have psychological problems.  Only smoke if you are in positive frame of mind.
• 7. If the use of hash or marijuana become a habit within your everyday life, it is high time you stopped to think about the situation and try to   change.
• 8. If you use medication, consult your doctor beforehand.
• 9. Harmful substances are released when you smoke cannabis, such as tar and carbon monoxide.  It is therefore not a good idea to inhale long and deeply.  In fact, there is no reason to inhale so deeply or for so long, as the active substances in cannabis are absorbed by the lungs very quickly.
• 10. It’s illegal to take cannabis or related products abroad.
• 11. In the Netherlands, the sale of small quantities of cannabis is only permitted in “tolerated” coffeeshops.  You should therefore never buy cannabis on the streets, only in a coffeeshop.  Always buy your hash/weed at a coffeeshop which is officially tolerated.  At least you know that you get an honest advice without any problem and you can have a good time in Maastricht.

You know you are smoking in a “legal” VOCM coffeeshop when you see the following Logo:

The cannabis “tip-cards” are primarily located near the entrance of each coffeeshop and/or in the vicinity of where the sales take place.  They sit in a 4-pocket, clear plastic holder and is offered in 4 languages; Dutch, German, French, and English.  Being from Pennsylvania USA, I, of course, picked up the English version for my reading pleasure.

Given that the national language in the Netherlands is Dutch, I am making an educated decision when I say that this document was probably created in Dutch and then translated into English/other languages as they seen fit to do so.  Funny thing is, I went to a different coffeeshop yesterday and picked up another card that, seemingly, was an updated version of the one I found last week.

This one is titled “Tips for Blowers.” and it states:

“Hello, now you are in an officially tolerated VOCM coffeeshop (Club of Official Coffeeshops Maastricht) and we want to inform you about blowing in the Netherlands.”

This informative card is much more organized and the translation into English is a bit better than the first document.  It makes the reader aware that it is FORBIDDEN to buy cannabis anywhere else or you could be at risk for having it confiscated by the police.

** MY FAVORITE SECTION ** ABOUT THE UPDATED VERSION OF THIS BROCHURE IS

“Some tips for the street (drugrunners)”

The 3 Tips that are suggested if someone is being approached by a drug runner are:

• Don’t react to their approaches, they maybe even aggressive.
• Try not to make any eye contact. Don’t react on whistling.
• Never follow them, don’t give any money.

APPARENTLY THERE ARE EVEN ILLEGAL MARIJUANA TRANSACTIONS IN THE LAND OF LEGAL MARIJUANA…

SEE MY LATEST MARIJUANA BLOG Written 12/17/09: CANNABIS CONTROVERSY by TwizzTed Tiffi

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON SMOKING MARIJUANA, PLEASE VISIT :

Vereniging Officiele Coffeeshops Maastricht (VOCM) at http://www.vocm-online.nl/uk

To view online version (which again differs from the first two documents) click here for the PDF – VOCM Brochure

Visit the Official Website of The Netherlands Board of Tourism & Conventions at http://us.holland.com/

For other Information about Maastricht, Netherlands such as Culture, Vacationing, Shopping, Wine Tasting, and Much More click here

For the History of Maastricht, Netherlands click here

To visit the Beautiful Churches of Maastricht, Netherlands, click here

Official Coffeeshops in Maastricht, NL

EASY GOING . . . . . .Hoenderstraat 8

CLUB 69 . . . . . . . . . Grote Gracht 97

FANTASIA . . . . . . . Sint Annalaan 3a

SMOKEY . . . . . . . . . Wilhelminakade

MISSIPPI . . . . . . . . Wilhelminakade

COOL RUNNING . . . .Brusselsestraat 35

MAXCY’S . . . . . . . . .Rechstraat 60a

LUCKY TIME . . . . . . Hoogbrugstraat 4

MISSOURI . . . . . . . .Hoogbrugstraat 31

KOSBOR . . . . . . . . . Kleine Gracht 3

HEAVEN 69 . . . . . . .Brusselsestraat 146

BLACK WIDOW . . . . Bosscherweg 165

SLOW MOTION . . . . Bourgognestraat 10a

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