Before there was California. Before there was Colorado. Before legalization became a global movement, there was Amsterdam.For decades, this city stood as the world’s cannabis capital, a beacon of freedom, creativity, and counterculture. Long before cannabis reform took hold elsewhere, Amsterdam’s coffeeshops became sanctuaries for open-minded thinkers, artists, and travelers looking to experience a new kind of high—one rooted in acceptance and connection.
How Cannabis Coffeeshops Became Possible
Those famous Amsterdam coffeeshops didn’t simply appear overnight; they were the result of a uniquely Dutch mix of pragmatism, tolerance, and social evolution.
In the 1960s, Amsterdam was a magnet for youth culture, music, and experimentation. Like much of the world, the Netherlands faced a rising tide of drug use, but instead of doubling down on punishment, Dutch authorities began rethinking their approach. By 1969, the Public Prosecutor’s Office issued new guidelines shifting the focus of enforcement away from cannabis and toward more dangerous drugs such as heroin. This marked the beginning of a philosophical shift—one rooted in the idea that laws should serve public health, not moral panic.
At the core of this new framework was a principle known as “gedogen”, meaning to tolerate or permit an act that remains technically illegal. This became the foundation of Dutch drug policy: a pragmatic approach that viewed enforcement as a tool for achieving social benefit, not an end in itself. In essence, the Netherlands didn’t legalize cannabis, it tolerated it.
Separating the Soft Drugs From the Hard Drugs
That nuance became law in 1976, when the Dutch government revised the Opium Act to officially distinguish between “hard drugs” and “soft drugs.” Cannabis was placed in the latter category, recognized as a lower-risk substance whose use and sale would be tolerated under strict conditions.
This separation was revolutionary. By distinguishing cannabis from substances like heroin or cocaine, Dutch policymakers effectively broke the “gateway drug” myth and created an environment where cannabis could be sold in regulated spaces—free from the criminal networks associated with harder drugs. It was one of the first major public acknowledgments anywhere in the world that prohibition was not the answer.
The Birth of the Coffeeshop
Out of this tolerant soil, a new kind of business took root. In 1972, a small “tea house” called Mellow Yellow quietly began selling cannabis in Amsterdam, disguised as a customer transaction at the bar. It was followed by other pioneering establishments like The Bulldog, which opened in 1975 in a former police station—a poetic twist that symbolized the changing times.
By the late 1970s, coffeeshops had become a defining feature of Amsterdam’s social fabric. They weren’t just retail spaces; they were cultural hubs—places where music, art, and conversation thrived alongside cannabis. To keep the peace, informal rules emerged: no hard drugs, no minors, no advertising, and no public nuisance. Authorities, in turn, chose to look the other way as long as shops played by those rules.
In the 1980s and early ’90s, the Dutch government formalized these norms with what became known as the AHOJ-G criteria, setting clear guidelines for coffeeshop operations. Despite technically existing in a legal grey zone, coffeeshops were now openly recognized and regulated—something no other country had dared to attempt.
Amsterdam’s Lasting Influence
What Amsterdam achieved wasn’t legalization in the modern sense, but something equally radical for its time: normalization. By tolerating cannabis use in controlled settings, the city turned a criminal act into a cultural experience. It created a model that balanced public safety, harm reduction, and personal freedom—one that would later inspire reform movements across the world.
Even today, as legalization sweeps through North America and beyond, Amsterdam remains symbolic—the original testing ground for what a freer, more open cannabis culture could look like. Its narrow streets and hazy shop windows still whisper the same message that sparked a global movement: cannabis can coexist peacefully within society.
TYSON 2.0: The Next Round
Now, that story continues with the TYSON 2.0 Coffeeshop, where the city’s storied past meets a new era of global cannabis culture. Nestled in the heart of Amsterdam, TYSON 2.0 pays homage to the pioneers who turned this city into a cannabis capital while bringing the power and personality of Mike Tyson to European soil. Inside, visitors find the same spirit of freedom that defined Amsterdam’s early coffeeshops, paired with a modern twist: premium products, elevated design, and an atmosphere that celebrates cannabis as both craft and culture.
Just as Mellow Yellow and The Bulldog once redefined what was possible, TYSON 2.0 represents the next evolution—a fusion of legacy and innovation, Amsterdam heritage and global momentum. Because if Amsterdam taught the world one thing, it’s that change begins with those willing to challenge the rules and build something legendary in their place.
