From: Jim Rosenfield <[j n r] at [igc.apc.org]>
Newsgroups: talk.politics.drugs
Subject: Re: News Stories from the Drug War
Date: Tue, 05 Dec 1995 17:24:46 -0800 (PST)
RTna  11/29     Marijuana buffs in Amsterdam smoke out top weed

By Keiron Henderson 

   AMSTERDAM, Netherlands (Reuter) - For four days, marijuana
connoisseurs from around the globe pored over the pick of the
crop in the world's most liberal drug atmosphere. 
   While wine tasters realize fairly quickly that they cannot
afford to swallow too many mouthfuls while working, some of the
1,500 "judges" appeared to have a hard time hanging onto sobriety
long enough to make a decision. 
   The organizers invited people to judge from a dizzying array
of strains with names like Juicy Fruit, Shiva Skunk, Northern
Lights and Silver Pearl. 
   "You could say the people coming here are seasoned experts,"
said Kevin Caruso of High Times, a New York-based magazine
devoted to alternative culture and the promotion of what it sees
as the highly versatile weed. 
   "But we do advise caution," said Caruso, surveying the packed
exhibition hall where "judges" were handing over their $100
registration fee in exchange for a plastic card which gave them
access to cannabis seminars and bus tours of Amsterdam's renowned
coffee shops where "soft" drugs such as cannabis are used openly.

   The Netherlands has never legalized the use of recreational
drugs but turns a blind eye to possession of small amounts of
"soft" drugs. 
   The government recently made it clear it intends to tighten up
on the numbers of coffee shops allowed to do business and is to
cut the amount of cannabis an individual can buy at any one time
to five grammes from a current 30. 
   But Amsterdam remains a Mecca for drug tourists, with people
coming from as far as Australia and New Zealand because Holland
has the most relaxed drug laws in the world, Caruso said. 
   Judges spread out through Amsterdam, sampling strains and
taking in cannabis related shows before deciding on the "Cannabis
Cup" in a poll Sunday. 
   Caruso, a non-smoker trying to keep close to the window in the
pungently hazy registration hall, explained that the Cup
attracted three types of advocate. 
   "There are the 'Hempsters,' people who want to make a living
out of selling hemp products like fabrics and so on and who
advocate medical uses," he said. 
   Steve Hager, editor of High Times, took up the theme. "You can
use marijuana to help treat glaucoma and it's given to cancer
patients taking chemotherapy to help them with their appetites,"
he said. 
   After the Hempsters come "Spiritual" smokers, who regard
cannabis as a gateway to mystic experience, and finally there are
recreational users -- "People who smoke because they like it and
don't see it as that big a thing," according to Caruso. 
   Some Cup goers sought out new products available in Amsterdam
such as "The Incognito" -- a cheroot packed with a low dose of
cannabis that can be smoked without raising eyebrows outside of
coffee shops. 
   Others wanted to pick up some growing lights and plant food,
according to Jay Jackson -- a U.S. citizen seeking Dutch
naturalization -- proudly displaying luxuriantly blooming
marijuana plants grown in his hydroponics business. 
   The crowds around his stall at the Hemp Expo arranged by High
Times were drawn by basic curiosity, he said. "People hear so
much about these plants but nine out of 10 people never get to
see them like this." 
   Eagle Bill of Ohio had a novel product for cannabis lovers who
hate smoking. His newly invented "Vaporisator" combined a jar
with a paint-stripping heat gun that quickly heats the drug to
the point where its active ingredients are released. 
   "Then you just take a big breath on this pipe and bingo," Bill
announced to his attentive audience, patiently lining up to
assess the benefits of the new device for themselves. 
   "I've vaporized 7,500 people with this thing," he said. "Only
95 guilders ($60) to buy one." 
   The 1995 Cannabis Cup winner was a strain called "White
Widow," entered by the "Greenhouse" coffee shop (just next to the
Dutch Central Bank). It ousted the Jack Herer strain which won
last year's competition. 
   "Most people end up only remembering one or two different
strains. Dedicated pot smokers can smoke in moderation and know
when they've found the right strain," said Caruso. "It's a lot
like wine tasting, you've got to know when to spit it out."