From the August, 2005 issue of High Times comes Rick Steves ode to Amsterdam. In honor of his birthday on May 10, were republishing it below, followed by a Q&A between Rick Steves and Steve Bloom.
Ive spent a quarter of my adult life in Europe and Asia, living out of a 9 x 22 x 14-inch bag, promoting the idea that travel is accelerated living, the last great source of legal adventure for Americans. When you travel, everything is vivid; your cultural furniture is rearranged. Life is carbonated with a different and refreshing perspective. Its like smoking pot.
Travel is full of learning. A self-assured American can learn about dealing pragmatically with societal challenges through travel. In Europe, people say a community must make a choice: tolerate different lifestyles or build more prisons.
The Dutch, who have very few people in prison, are quick to remind me that America, with four percent of the planets population, holds over a quarter of its prisoners. We Dutch are businessmen, one explained. If theres a problem, we deal with it as if that person is a future customer or partner.
In Amsterdamwhere 40 percent of the traffic is two-wheeled, mailboxes have decals saying either ja or nee to junk mail and junkies are given dean needlespeople believe its futile to legislate personal morality. In the Netherlands, euthanasia, third-term abortion, prostitution and the use of marijuana are considered victimless crimes and, if not entirety legal, these actions are at least tolerated.
Dutch prostitutes are unionized, taxed, counseled and provided with health care. If a prostitute needs help and pushes her emergency button, the policerather than a pimpcome to her aid. As a result, crime and health problems associated with prostitution are minimized.
Dutch coffeeshopsmany decorated with Rastafarian colorssell marijuana to locals and tourists alike. Older users get their weed to go. Younger users enjoy the ambience and consume it there, often with loaner bongs and vaporizers. Coffeeshop proprietors work with the police to educate people about the dangers of hard drugs. The coffeeshops provide a helpful wall between the use of tolerated soft drugs and still strictly illegal hard drugs.
Conservative Dutch drug-enforcement officers report that there has been no increase in drug problems with the spread of Hollands coffeeshops. The major concern is pressure from the US and certain European Union nations (Sweden, France) to arrest pot smokers. Some European countries make a few arrests each year just to maintain favored-trade status with the US.
On my website we have a board where travelers share information about the opportunities to smoke pot in Europe (without the paranoia that comes with smoking in America). I dont understand why so many righteous people complain to me that Im promoting breaking the law.
To think that a politically driven prohibition in our country makes enjoying pot abroad evil is a gross example of ethnocentrism. The US may have a law making smoking marijuana illegal, but that has nothing to do with its legality outside of our country.
Why did you Join the advisory board of NORML?
Rick Steves: I believe its good citizenship for anyone who thinks a law is wrong to encourage our government to change it. Conversely, I believe that to have this belief and do nothing is cowardice. Advocating for the rights of people who want to smoke marijuana is what NORML does, and the best way I can help NORML is to publicly put my name on their list of supporters.
Lots of counterculture types go public with their feelings about the recreational use of pot. They surprise no one and take no heat. Millions of other people have the same take on this issue but are in circles where this would raise eyebrows and perhaps discredit themlose their job or an election. They smoke pot in hiding. No one should ever have to be shy or apologetic about working to change a law thats so ruinous to so many good people.
Whats your favorite coffeeshop In Amsterdam?
Rick Steves: The Grey Area, famous for its Cannabis Cup awards, is a good place. But my favorite is the Paradox, tucked away in the Jordaan, run by a wonderful man named Ludo, with a mellow and graceful ambience, fresh juice and my kind of music. Its an ambience that my older readers feel comfortable in and therefore is perfect for my guidebook.
Does PBS or anyone else give you flak about your marijuana advocacy?
Rick Steves: Most people in authority are smart enough to understand that my stance is correct or at least reasonable, and Im just in a better position than they are to be honest about it. If someone boycotts my travel information because they disagree with my politics, thats their loss.
Whats your No. 1 travel destination?
Rick Steves: Globally, its India. In Europe, it would be Italybecause, for a traveler, Italy offers Europes most India-like experience.
Besides Amsterdam, where have you smoked the best pot or hash in the world?
Rick Steves: Kathmandu. One of the happiest days in my life was at an open-air cafe/bakery called Pie and Chai, waiting for the next apple pie to come out of the rustic Nepali oven, listening to the Rolling Stones, surrounded by fascinating travelers from around the world and new Nepali friends. High in the Himalayas!
Whats something every stoner traveler should know?
Rick Steves: Dont buy pot on the street. Buy from a source that locals will use on a regular basis and therefore needs to be reliably good-quality. Europeans mix their bud with tobacco, which I dont like at all.
How did you become a travel personality?
Rick Steves: Im passionate about European travel. Ive made my lifes work spending a hundred days a year over there making all the mistakes, taking careful notes, then coming home and teaching fellow travelers in hopes that they can learn from my mistakes rather than their own and travel smarter. Ive done this for 30 years now.
Do you write high?
Rick Steves: Yes. When I teach a travel-writing workshop, I joke that a travel writer could make a case that his or her marijuana expenses could be written off as business expenses. Journaling when high on the road has taught me to observe things differently. I dont think the actual writing is that great, but it opens me up to experiencing thingsfrom slow-motion leech attacks to Botticellis confetti maidensdifferently, even when Im not high.
This has been a huge help to me as a travel writer. I have on occasion brainstormed captions for books while high. For example, theres a beautiful painting by Leonardo da Vinci of the Madonna and Christ child with Saint Anne. Anne speaks to Mary as the two women look, concerned, at baby Jesus. My caption: Its so sad when a childs birthday falls on Christmas.
If someone didnt have any of your DVDs, which one would you recommend getting first?
Rick Steves: I have DVDs for each of my 50 travel shows. I suppose the most important would be the three-part special on travel skills. But my guidebooks are far more helpful for travelers than my DVDs. The most important of my 30 guidebooks is my travel-skills handbook, Europe Through the Back Door. At the risk of being immodest, I consider it the Kama Sutra of European travel fun. For High Times readers, perhaps my Amsterdam guidebook would be a close second.
See the article here:
High Times Greats: Talking To Travel Writer Rick Steves About Exploring The World - High Times
- Ipswich Man given suspended sentence for burglary offences - Suffolk Constabulary - September 29th, 2023 [September 29th, 2023]
- Miller: Hey, Steve Rogers take a hike with your cronies! - The Observer Online - September 29th, 2023 [September 29th, 2023]
- Crime in Prison Referral Agreement - GOV.UK - September 29th, 2023 [September 29th, 2023]
- Reducing public defender workloads across the nation | Behind the ... - Missoulian - September 29th, 2023 [September 29th, 2023]
- The SIPT Judgement - Turks and Caicos Weekly News - September 29th, 2023 [September 29th, 2023]
- Two biotech CEOs charged with defrauding investors - UPI.com - December 26th, 2022 [December 26th, 2022]
- Most Free States 2022 - worldpopulationreview.com - December 26th, 2022 [December 26th, 2022]
- Economic and Social Effects of Crime | Encyclopedia.com - December 18th, 2022 [December 18th, 2022]
- What are Some Examples of Victimless Crimes? - eLawTalk.com - November 5th, 2022 [November 5th, 2022]
- Want to save Metro? Dare to re-criminalize fare beating - Washington Examiner - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- Police: Catalytic converter thefts on the rise | Police and Fire | kokomotribune.com - Kokomo Tribune - October 8th, 2022 [October 8th, 2022]
- Holy See: Human dignity should be at the core of crime policies' - vaticannews.va - October 8th, 2022 [October 8th, 2022]
- Why bike theft needs to be re-criminalised, urgently - CyclingWeekly - October 8th, 2022 [October 8th, 2022]
- Outrageous raging inflation, and the distortion of CPI - City A.M. - October 8th, 2022 [October 8th, 2022]
- Quickly: Readers sound off on the issues of the day - Chicago Tribune - October 8th, 2022 [October 8th, 2022]
- Fortnum and Mason 'gives up on police catching shoplifters' - The Telegraph - September 27th, 2022 [September 27th, 2022]
- Asylum, Migration And US Foreign Policy OpEd - Eurasia Review - September 27th, 2022 [September 27th, 2022]
- The Victims of a Victimless Crime: The Future of Organized Retail Crime - Loss Prevention Magazine - September 14th, 2022 [September 14th, 2022]
- 2 people identified as human trafficking victims in Polk County | wtsp.com - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- Parents of fentanyl victims rally in San Francisco - CBS San Francisco - August 22nd, 2022 [August 22nd, 2022]
- Retail Industry Joins With Law Enforcement to Keep Communities Safe - CSNews Online - August 22nd, 2022 [August 22nd, 2022]
- The boots on the ground stomping out insurance fraud - ITIJ - July 31st, 2022 [July 31st, 2022]
- Shoplifting rises 21% year-on-year | Features and Analysis - Convenience Store - July 25th, 2022 [July 25th, 2022]
- Retail Theft a National Crisis: What Must be Done to Help Businesses and Consumers - ABC Action News Tampa Bay - July 25th, 2022 [July 25th, 2022]
- Sex offender caught with vile image hoard avoids prison term - The Dumbarton and Vale of Leven Reporter - July 25th, 2022 [July 25th, 2022]
- Top Sheffield judge highlights sickening treatment of children who are sexually abused for content shared online - The Star - July 25th, 2022 [July 25th, 2022]
- Resident Evil: Netflix's eight-part adaptation's very different from the movies - Stuff - July 25th, 2022 [July 25th, 2022]
- The Consequences Of Justice Not Seen To Be Done: The Case Of Najib Razak Analysis - Eurasia Review - July 17th, 2022 [July 17th, 2022]
- Dad's weed grow 'to fund son's treatment' - Kent Online - July 13th, 2022 [July 13th, 2022]
- Reward to catch cable thieves as hundreds without internet - Kent Online - June 30th, 2022 [June 30th, 2022]
- Claim fraud on the rise: insurance firms hard-hit - Bizcommunity.com - June 30th, 2022 [June 30th, 2022]
- Smash-and-Grab Hits Calif. Macy's; NY Plans to Target Repeat Offenders - Sourcing Journal - June 30th, 2022 [June 30th, 2022]
- Human trafficking probe in Winnipeg nets three-year sentence | CTV News - CTV News Winnipeg - June 30th, 2022 [June 30th, 2022]
- Guest opinion: Clarity amid confusion in the county attorney's race - Daily Herald - June 22nd, 2022 [June 22nd, 2022]
- Fraudster jailed after trying to scam taxpayer out of 70000 with bogus claims - Shropshire Star - June 22nd, 2022 [June 22nd, 2022]
- Hack Me If You Can, Part 1: The Making of a Russian Hacker - The Journal. - WSJ Podcasts - The Wall Street Journal - June 15th, 2022 [June 15th, 2022]
- Crimes Against Morality: Definition & Examples - Study.com - June 11th, 2022 [June 11th, 2022]
- Britain's first police shoplifting squad catches twice as many thieves - The Telegraph - June 11th, 2022 [June 11th, 2022]
- Integrated assessment team to be involved in Narcotics Law revision - ANTARA English - June 11th, 2022 [June 11th, 2022]
- Soft Review: Young Black Men, Gently Pointed Toward Liberation - The New York Times - June 11th, 2022 [June 11th, 2022]
- Lubbock Woman Has Her Pot Stolen And Refuses To Call Police - KFMX-FM - June 11th, 2022 [June 11th, 2022]
- Teens held in spree of SF smash-and-grab thefts - KTVU FOX 2 San Francisco - June 11th, 2022 [June 11th, 2022]
- Michael Moynihan: Why is it that noisy people show no consideration for others? - Irish Examiner - June 11th, 2022 [June 11th, 2022]
- Sheriff Marceno: "We are taking the streets back" in reference to narcotics investigations - FOX 4 News Fort Myers WFTX - June 5th, 2022 [June 5th, 2022]
- Opinion: Are we fooling ourselves to say we're a nation of laws? - Yakima Herald-Republic - June 3rd, 2022 [June 3rd, 2022]
- He Owns This City: How Jon Bernthal Gave the Performance of the Year - Decider - June 3rd, 2022 [June 3rd, 2022]
- Guest Commentary: The Truth about Reisig - The Peoples Vanguard of Davis - June 3rd, 2022 [June 3rd, 2022]
- Matthew in the Middle | The war on drugs and crime - Eureka Times-Standard - May 3rd, 2022 [May 3rd, 2022]
- Police operation targets prostitution at Fishkill hotel - Mid Hudson News Website - May 3rd, 2022 [May 3rd, 2022]
- California State Senate Public Safety Committee Votes 4-0 to Pass SB 1472: Ryan's Law - Redefines Gross Negligence to Include Driving Over 100 MPH,... - May 3rd, 2022 [May 3rd, 2022]
- The Secret History of the War on Weed #1 - Multiversity Comics - April 25th, 2022 [April 25th, 2022]
- OPINION: Beware 'The Next Big Thing' - Daily Journal - April 22nd, 2022 [April 22nd, 2022]
- War has never been a reason not to replace a UK Prime Minister - The National - April 20th, 2022 [April 20th, 2022]
- Method 4 How to make $1k-$3k without any carding ... - reddit - April 11th, 2022 [April 11th, 2022]
- Meeting the challenge of organized retail crime - NRF News - April 11th, 2022 [April 11th, 2022]
- Industry Perspectives Op-Ed: When contractors engage in tax fraud they are stealing from the rest of us - constructconnect.com - Daily Commercial News - April 11th, 2022 [April 11th, 2022]
- A Woman's Take On the Men's Rights Movement | Hannah Cox - Foundation for Economic Education - April 11th, 2022 [April 11th, 2022]
- Sunnyside caf hit by theft and damages in second incident - LiveWire Calgary - March 27th, 2022 [March 27th, 2022]
- Fuel thefts might be 'low-level' crimes but they aren't victimless - Daily Record - March 21st, 2022 [March 21st, 2022]
- The false fantasy of funding the police - TheGrio - March 21st, 2022 [March 21st, 2022]
- Pandemic Relief Fraud- A Focus And Priority For The Department Of Justice - JD Supra - March 21st, 2022 [March 21st, 2022]
- Taraji P. Henson Uses Emmett Till As An Example To Demand Jussie Smolletts Release From Prison - Majic 102.1 - March 21st, 2022 [March 21st, 2022]
- Eight arrested as Sheriff's Office conducts prostitution sting - Palm Coast Observer - March 8th, 2022 [March 8th, 2022]
- The Rise Of Online Fraud: How To Stay Safe When iGaming - Euro Weekly News - March 8th, 2022 [March 8th, 2022]
- Brutal double murderer and school worker paedophile among the men jailed in February - Grimsby Live - March 8th, 2022 [March 8th, 2022]
- House Bill 672 Fish and game, violations - Idaho Freedom - idahofreedom.org - February 24th, 2022 [February 24th, 2022]
- Drugs and 150,000 illegal cigarettes found stashed behind wall in Hessle Road - Hull Live - February 24th, 2022 [February 24th, 2022]
- A RI city and judge start new approach for petty offenses driven by addiction. Here's why - The Providence Journal - February 17th, 2022 [February 17th, 2022]
- Police slap down suggestion they should 'focus on real crime' after cannabis bust in Coalville - Leicestershire Live - February 17th, 2022 [February 17th, 2022]
- Netflix's 'Inventing Anna' and the 'girlboss-ification' of Anna Delvey - MSNBC - February 17th, 2022 [February 17th, 2022]
- Bus lane fines rocket by more than 60 per cent in a year in Edinburgh as number cameras shot up during lockdown - Edinburgh News - February 17th, 2022 [February 17th, 2022]
- Two men involved in laundering 15 million have been sentenced to a total of 12 years in jail UKNIP - UK News in Pictures - February 17th, 2022 [February 17th, 2022]
- Judge in warning to people who view child abuse images as he jails dad who downloaded hundreds of vile pictures - The Star - February 11th, 2022 [February 11th, 2022]
- Tacarre Harper, Alleged Leader Of Smash-And-Grab Burglars That Targeted Stores On Mag Mile And Around City, Arrested And Charged - CBS Chicago - February 9th, 2022 [February 9th, 2022]
- What Homeland Security Will Be on Prowl for at Super Bowl - Newsweek - February 9th, 2022 [February 9th, 2022]
- Republicans Call For Tougher Penalties For Car Thefts, Hit-And-Runs - NBC Connecticut - February 7th, 2022 [February 7th, 2022]
- Gov. Bill Lee plays politics by failing to mention Tennessee's 22,000 COVID dead | Opinion - Tennessean - February 7th, 2022 [February 7th, 2022]
- Guelph police investigated almost 200 vehicle thefts in 2021 - GuelphToday - February 7th, 2022 [February 7th, 2022]
- How Do We Reconcile the Olympics and China's Human Rights Crisis? - Bleacher Report - February 7th, 2022 [February 7th, 2022]
- Car enthusiasts speak out about reckless driving as new bill is proposed to rev up penalties | News Channel 3-12 - KEYT - February 1st, 2022 [February 1st, 2022]