Hoobner's Excellent Adventure in Amsterdam: 2008

Hoobner’s been to Amsterdam twice on business but has always wanted to visit Amsterdam as a tourist … and to smoke every variety of marijuana and hashish he can get his hands on. Which should be pretty easy, since the Dutch have had a policy of “tolerance” toward soft drugs since the mid-1970s.

Despite what people say, marijuana and hashish are illegal in Holland – personal consumption is “tolerated” within a well-regulated industry of coffeeshops, which primarily provide a place to purchase and consume small quantities of cannabis-based drugs.

Hard drugs (defined as heroin, cocaine, etc.) are illegal and not tolerated; driving under the influence of anything is harshly punished; and smoking a joint in public is frowned upon.

Interestingly, the Dutch have less of a “drug problem” than the United States despite its multi-billion-dollar “war” on drugs.

Hoobner’s blog, however, is about smoking buds, getting high, being stoned. Passing the joint. Woofing weed. Sparkin’ doobies. Bong hits, brownies, vaporizers. Tambien fumar marijuana con mi amigos. Catching a buzz on a lazy afternoon as the sunlight glints off the tops of tall buildings in downtown through the smoggy haze of a sunny L.A. day as the ice cream truck rolls slowly by.

Hoobner and his (very understanding) wife are off to Amsterdam for two weeks to demonstrate that: (1) smoking weed does not inherently turn you into the devil incarnate; (2) most of the great stuff to experience in Amsterdam does not involve marijuana; and (3) Hoobner always gets over-excited about getting stoned when, in fact, it’s not that big a deal.

Sometimes, a joint is just a joint. And not even a good smoke.

Hoobner just likes that happy guy he sees in the mirror when he’s stoned. He makes Hoobner laugh.

And everyone needs to laugh more.

Every day.

Ha-ha-ha!