Whether it’s your thing or not, coffeeshops are a part of the diverse culture in Amsterdam, Europe’s pot-smoking capital. Soft drugs are technically not legal, but merely ‘tolerated’. At a coffeeshop, cannabis is permitted to be openly sold to the public and smoked on the premises. They are controlled and licensed by the government and are allowed to store 500 grams of marijuana, but can only sell five grams to adults over 18 (with a valid ID). In order to deter young people from smoking pot, some coffeeshops have recently raised the age limit to 21 with the assumption that few 21 year-olds will hang out with minors. Coffeeshops aren’t allowed to advertise so they either have a menu in booklet form with photos, or a chalkboard under the counter listing items. High Times magazine, a popular cannabis publication, presents carefully selected Amsterdam coffeeshops with their prestigious High Times Cannabis Cup award for the best pot in the world. Coffeeshops come in a variety of styles: touristy, 70s style, mellow, hip, dark, or typically Dutch.