How things have changed! My main erstwhile attraction to Amsterdam no longer exists. I live in a legal area, and even the prices don't seem to be a huge deal - ranging from $15 for 3.5gms (not the greatest stuff) to $60-$70 for 3.5gms - but mostly in the $30 range. The number of strains is mind-boggling, and it is actually not easy to find an old school strain. Quite frankly, using a Mighty vape, I find it hard to finish a 3.5 bag in a month.

In terms of quality well, they print out the test results outside the container, and if you believe them, you can get flower at 30% to 35% - Amsterdam was never this lethal! Plus you get all the terpene info you could want. You can also get various kinds of edibles and drinks.

The brave new world here is that, while there are no "coffeeshops", per se (they're all buy and fly), you don't need to consult with the staff about anything. You go online to your favorite dispensary sites, browse through everything they have for the day, then jump on Leafly and/or Allbud and get a good detailed description - not to mention user reviews. Needless to say, you want to take those reviews with a huge bag of salt. So far, I have to say that I have absolutely no complaints with the herbage here, including the lack of coffeeshops. Amsterdam is different because of the ubiquity of safe public transportation, but I can't imagine driving here after a dosing-capsule-worth of, say, high octane melonade, or God-forbid, GDP.

From what I read, it looks like Amsterdam has been left behind in the dust, weed-wise. That said, even if you're not a major punter (like I'm not), Amsterdam has so many other charms, and the weed certainly helps. But, the pull of Amsterdam has vanished - maybe the Dutch like it that way.

Guys (and gals), I thought I'd add a lil review, if you will.

I was browsing through a few sites yesterday, and saw Chocolope for 30 bucks for 3.5gms (1/8 oz), touted at 28% THC. Smaller buds (they should have listed it as "smalls"), but theoretically no different qualitatively from one large bud, I rushed back to grind up a sample and load it into the S&B Mighty - one dosing capsule worth.

I have not had any Chocolope since a visit to Amsterdam in 2014, 2015, something like that, and I remember getting it at Green Place and having my mind pretty much blown away for hours. Needless to say, this august group of herbal heroes at Ignatz will recognize that the same strain tends to be different here than in Amsterdam. I noticed it especially with SSH, which seems to have lost it's mean, subversive streak in the US.

Anyhoo, four nice draws, and I was mind-blown in a very similar way to what I remember from 10 years ago - and it lasted and lasted! Very, very cerebral AND emotive. Playing guitar through a nice (albeit small) rig never felt so satisfying, and I even began to dig videos of Dua Lipa and Taylor Swift!!

I'm not sure you can get better herbage than this in Amsterdam...