What kind of thing are you looking for? What previous experience do you have with psychoactive drugs - e.g do you smoke weed?
Truffles are perfectly suitable for newbies as long as you keep the dose sensible - a 10g pack of mild or medium strength truffles might be enough for some mild psychedelic effects but it won't throw you into a 'trip' as such. If you would contemplate smoking weed, then a mild dose of truffles isn't going to be much more intense than that - if you like the idea of psychedelics but don't really fancy a full blown trip they are fine at low doses. Like anything else the effects vary drastically depending on dosage - a glass of sherry with Sunday lunch is a bit different from drinking an entire bottle of neat vodka. If you don't like the idea of trying psychedelics at all, I can understand that, but if they interest you I wouldn't be put off by the idea that truffles are too 'hardcore' for newbies. The FAQ I wrote is quite safety conscious but the warnings are really aimed at young people who might be tempted to try taking large doses without really understanding what they are getting into.
General advice regarding Smartshop products:
For a good smart shop that is worth visiting just to have a look around, I like
Conscious Dreams Kokopelli at Warmoesstraat 12, which is close to both the RLD and Centraal Station.
The shop is very attractive and has a nice vibe. If you consider yourself a "newbie", strike up a conversation with the person behind the counter and discuss with them what you want - of course they have an interest in selling you something but you may get some useful advice.
In terms of typical products, the Kokopelli website says:
Quote:
In our smartshop we sell:
Magic truffles – Herbal XTC – Aphrodisiacs Energizers – Psycho-active plants & herbs – Vitamins – DVD’s – Books – Music – Lifestyle – Art
The problem with "Herbal XTC" and also "aphrodisiacs and energizers" is that these kind of products are usually of dubious efficacy.
Erowid is a good online resource for information on psychoactive plants and drugs. As an example, their entry for Herbal XTC states
Quote:
Herbal Ecstasy formulas vary from one brand to another, but almost all are stimulants based on caffeine and ephedrine. They generally produce a stimulating effect though most people find them to be nothing like MDMA (ecstasy).
Most stimulant drugs along the lines of real ecstasy e.t.c. are banned in the Netherlands, so anything in an "energizer" or "Herbal XTC" product is not likely to be much stronger than you would find in Starbucks, in an energy drink or in a decongestant tablet (these often contain ephedrine).
There are various plants and herbs on sale in Smartshops. Some are obscure herbal things that don't necessarily have any great effect, more like traditional folk medicines and so on.
There are some plants they sell which have genuine psychoactive properties (e.g syrian rue or morning glory seeds) but these two are not really suitable for newbies. For example Syrian Rue is typically used in combination with psychedelics to strengthen the effects - it is an MAOI inhibitor which means it cannot be taken if you are on certain medications - in short it's more for the serious psychedelic enthusiast who has done some research online. Personally I wouldn't use it because although it would strengthen a 'trip', people report nausea and headaches which I can do without.
Likewise with morning glory seeds, it's the kind of thing which is a fair bit of hassle for effects which can be very physically unpleasant and not particularly psychedelic compared to truffles. This is the kind of thing you would take if you are either a desperate teenager who cannot get hold of real psychedelics, or a serious psychedelic enthusiast who likes to try things even when they may have unpleasant physical side effects.
I remember seeing the ingredients being sold to make ayahuasca in a Smartshop, but again this is more for the serious psychedelic enthusiast, - it's the kind of thing used in Peruvian jungles by Shamans and involves 'purging' (vomiting) alongside terrifying psychedelic visions. Not really a holiday drug unless your idea of a holiday is a Shamanic jungle retreat in Peru!
In short, I think a lot of the products either don't really do a lot, or are not particularly suitable for lighthearted 'fun' use. Weed or truffles are your best bet for a worthwhile experience in Amsterdam. But if you discuss what you are looking for with the person in the smart shop, they may be able to suggest something that interests you - apart from the truffles I can't claim to have tried many of these things.
Enjoy your visit!
