Amsterdam's Magic Mushrooms

Amsterdam's Magic Mushrooms

Only two decades after the Dutch government condoned the sale of marijuana and hash under the Opium Act of 1976, another "soft drug" came onto the scene: psilocybin. More commonly known as magic mushrooms, psilocybin can be purchased at a number of Amsterdam's various "smart shops." Smart shops sell a veritable salad of other "natural" high-producing substances -- peyote, aphrodisiacal herbs and oils, and herbal XTC. If you choose to take any of these products, use your own innate smarts: not only are many of them illegal if carried outside the Netherlands, they can produce strong -- and not necessarily pleasant -- judgment-impairing hallucinations. In 2007, the legalization of paddos, as they are locally termed, was once again called into question after a series of fatal incidents involving tripping tourists. There's an ongoing national debate about whether to impose a ban, so do confirm local laws before you go foraging for fresh fungi.

Conscious Dreams. Hans van den Hurk is attributed for having opened this very first smart shop in 1994, as a place to promote mind-body awareness. Besides the usual suspects of "natural" drugs, you'll find a selection of "harm reduction kits" said to speed up the recovery process after a hyper-conscious weekend. Lounge beats play overhead and Internet awaits your access. Kerkstraat 113, The Canal Ring. 020/627-1739. www.consciousdreams.nl. Warmoesstraat 12, The Old City Center (Het Centrum). 020/421-7000.

Inner Space. "The only legal coke alternative" and liquid drops to produce "that real MDMA feeling" are among the products sold here. So are mushroom grow kits, marijuana seeds, and some good ol' Vitamin C. Spuistraat 108, The Old City Center (Het Centrum). 020/624-3338. www.innerspace.nl. Staalstraat 5. 020/320-0064.