Hey Fellow Amsterdam Lovers,

I was just wondering if anyone has experienced the Cannabis Cup (www.cannabiscup.com)? I heard that it is a really cool experience (or, at the very least, another good excuse to travel to Amsterdam!). Please let me know.

Thanks,
DH

have you done a search? this topic comes up every October or November (the Cup is held over US Thanksgiving weekend).

for some it may be a great excuse to go to Amsterdam -- and sure it is if you want to network and meet breeders/growers or other likeminded folks from N. America. personally -- and I've said this here many times before -- I think it's a ripoff, as are all of these package deals.

frankly, so much is written about Amsterdam in detail on the net (and on this board in particular) and there is little to no language barrier, so a first-timer can easily have a rewarding do-it-yourself holiday. OK, some people want to be catered to on holiday, I certainly understand that. but I don't see the sense in paying €200 (or whatever it costs for a "judge's pass") when you don't get access to things that you couldn't access by yourself any other day of the year; save that money and buy yourself good weed :)

now, in my criticism of the Cannabis Cup and other similar events (like the 420 Cup which was held last month), I don't discount that they may be entertaining, educational, even good fun, I'm just saying that Amsterdam and its glory is available to you at no added cost 365 days a year.

-paniked

I'm with You on that.
Don't get me wrong, I did enjoyedbeing a judge in the cup a few times but I learned from my mistakes. My last trip was on the same dates as the cup but I surelly enjoyed the extra euros to buy my own weed by not buying the judges pass. The cup administration has just been changed prior to the last one and the organization and entertainment value had decreased a lot. In addition to that You can get to any event during the cup or most events by only paying entrance to that particular event.

I don't know why people think that with the judges pass everything is going to be free.
It surelly isn't. Last time the only places offering free samples for the judges even got me a few samples without being a judge myself, so go figure.

My advice is that:
"It is better to input your money to this great city wherever you desire instead of giving it to the C. CUP people."

Besides that, most judges don't even have time to enjoy that great country by running all day trying to visit all the coffeeshops participating in the cup while missing some other great places and shops.

EdAmsterdam

I've been to the last 2 Cups & are going this year as well. True the cost of the Judge's pass can be a little costly, but I've met friends & get together during the Cup. I get an apartment while I'm over there, with frig, stove, microwave. So I save euro's while there. It's nice to have smoker sessions & not worry about setting off the smoke alarm. This happened at the last Cup, a friend of mine was told if he came back this year he wasn't welcome at their hotel. Some coffeeshops give samples or discounts to judges. Plus it's one helluva excuse to get out of this crazy country for a short while! 47 days & counting......

I hear ya, I'm doing basically the same thing Dizbuster.
I was in A-Dam last year during the Cup, but did not judge.
I will be judging this year, and I've done it 3 times before in the past.
I don't do the package deal, but I will shell out the $200 for the Pass.
I'm interested to see how the changes (no Melkweg every night- that's a big change) are going to effect the Cup.

Yo Joehorse if you want to try to get together during the Cup for a smoke session let me know. My apartment is near the Melkweg. 46 days & counting.....

Besides all the trivial commercial shit that you get with a pass,, the one thing that pissed me off last year was when I went into the Greenhouse Centrum (which I have to been many times) and was told that I needed a pass to purchase their C.Cup entry (Arjan's Haze). Ended up buying some Hawaiian Snow instead (awesome),,, a month later I was back and tried some Arjan Haze (really disappointing) and they were completely out of H. Snow ,,,no big deal IMHO..

I've been in Amsterdam during the C.Cup yearly since since 2001, mainly due to avoiding the B.S surrounding Thanksgiving here in the states . I have met quite a few characters during that week and for a solo traveller that may help. The biggest drawback is not being able to hang out in your favorite coffeeshops,, not that I do that much of that any longer but if thats your thing,, go another time.

420, that's exactly why I always come over during the US Thanksgiving- that and it's cheap and I get 2 days paid holiday. I did, however, sneak into the Greenhouse last year without a pass.

Dizbuster, sure, let's get together and puff.
PM me and we'll chat more.

Joehorse,

Its not that you can't enter the shops,,its just too crowded to enjoy the ambience. Sitting at the Greenhouse overlooking the RLD is one of my favorite spots.

420,
That is one of the downfalls of the Cup.
But, with some of the shops, especially Greenhouse RLD, it is always packed- Cup or no Cup.
Hey, there are CS I go to that are off the beaten path- actually my first stop is a shop that hasn't participated in the Cup.

I will love to get an apartment, but for a solo/budget traveller it's very hard to. The best way I have experienced the trip was to go for two weeks, the first one during the CCup and the second one after everybody from the cup leaves. I have found that the city is very different from week to week. I get my quality buds when the cup is on and chill on non-famous C.S. then reserve the next week to hang on the busy ones. I really enjoy locals oriented shops but my main thing is to go check out parties, performances and concerts and even the rare oportunity to watch an AJAX game.

I really do enjoy the vibe of the city, last trip I didn't even used my mp3 player just to hear the sound of the city around me. I have met a lot of interesting people but being that stoned I didn't even bothered to remember names or take emails.

My first CS to visit was Barney's, (my flight getting there always at 7:00 a.m.) but is very very busy and since the Grey Area opens late I get something to get me going from Central CS just in front of Centraal Station and after getting to my hotel and going to my favorite bar on The Green House Hotel on Warmoesstraat I head out to get my essential buds and hash that I must have during the first day.

Best wishes to all attending this year,

EdAmsterdam