Ultimate Travel Guide In Amsterdam

Amsterdam is a well developed ultimate travel city that is rich in culture, history, city attractions and laid back lifestyles. It is a very friendly city with a relatively low crime rate. It is very safe to walk or bike within the beautiful city and explore its attractions. Walking is considered the usual form of travel especially for tourists although some prefer to use bikes. The city attractions in Amsterdam are ideal for those who like to take long leisurely strolls, or jog around for some exercise. It is also considered a very liberal city, with the abundance of cannabis cafes, marijuana legality, and the popularity of the red light district, which are some of the characteristics Amsterdam is best known for.

The travel in the city fuses the best of the old world and the new world. It will not be difficult for tourists to ask around for information, as there are many English speakers in the city. German and French are the other dominant languages spoken in Amsterdam.

Any time of the year is good in going for an ultimate travel, although it is advisable to bring rain gear because it can rain at anytime. July to August is considered peak seasons for travel. It can be quite costly sometimes but most of the prices are inclusive of tax, so you no need to worry about tipping during your travel.

There are many city attractions with museums, restaurants and cafes being high on the list. All sorts of cuisine can be found in Amsterdam, whether you are looking for Greek or Chinese, they have it. During the cold season, grabbing a warm drink in the local pubs is a great way to experience its culture and meet the locals.

There are a number of hotels, motels, and hostels that you could choose from in Amsterdam. Depending on your budget, some bagpackers prefer to stay in abandoned buildings, perfect for travel experience and just pay for electricity and water. Hotels range from old and new, so there is something for everyone, whether you are looking for an authentic ultimate travel stay that is rich in history and traditional to Dutch culture or something newer and more innovative travel.

There are also a number of shops for shopping travelers. Aside from city attractions, there are music, antique, food and cheese, vintage comic & clothing, modern clothing, and souvenir stores. No matter what kind of experience you are looking for in Amsterdam, there is something for you to make your own unique travel truly unforgettable.

The Hookah Experience

A hookah is basically a water pipe intended for the smoking of tobacco. It is often made of glass with two or more flexible stems drawing the water cooled smoke from the pipe. It originated in India many centuries ago, and moved from there into the Middle East. Although tobacco was the original substance burned in the hookah, others are also used. Some of these others have been illegal substances such as Cannabis or Opium, and this has tended to give hookahs a bad name in Western Culture. In recent years, the hookah has been making some headway in dispelling this bad reputation. One of the attractions of hookah smoking in the East was the manner in which the activity induced relaxation, and stimulated conversation.

The Online market has allowed hookahs to be purchased in larger numbers, and the merchants generally sell a large variety of flavored and low nicotine tobacco. The nicotine level is furthered reduced by the action of the water inside the pipe, and the result is a smoking experience that is ultimately less expensive and a lot less messy than sharing a couple of Marlboros. If a couple were smokers, it is easy to envision the hookah on the coffee table for a private evening of movies or conservation.

This is exactly the thought of some enterprising businessmen who have begun to open Hookah bars around the country. These would be regular bars with the exception of a hookah in the middle of every table. That large selection of fragrant tobacco would be available for purchase along with your drinks. The hookah smoking would supposedly have a calming effect on the patrons, encourage good talk, and enhance the entertainment. A Hookah Caf would be similar except that perhaps food and coffee would be served with the tobacco rather than alcohol. Which ever approach suits you better, a trip to a Hookah smoking establishment would make a novel and very interesting group activity.

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Making Hemp Jewelry Is Fun and Easy

Making our ideas come to life and creating them with our own hands is a great source of satisfaction for many of us. Handicrafts such as making hemp jewelry have been and continue to be very popular among both hobbyists and would-be entrepreneurs alike. Aside from being a productive way to pass time, making hemp jewelry encourages creativity and is a great and inexpensive way to have fun either by ones own self or with friends and family.

Growing hemp is illegal in the United States because it comes from a variety of the cannabis plant, from which the drug marijuana is derived. Commercial hemp is the fiber used in making hemp jewelry, and its available in numerous arts and crafts stores nationwide. The benefits of wearing and making hemp jewelry are numerous: it is attractive in its uniqueness, it is strong and durable, it can be customized in myriad ways, and it is environmentally friendly. Fashion designers, including Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren, are including hemp-made accessories among their offerings. Also, celebrities such as actor Woody Harrelson have been vigorously endorsing fashion accessories made from hemp (and he has had several brushes with the law because of his ardor).

Making hemp jewelry doesnt take much getting used to. It is similar to macrame in that involves a lot of knot-tying. The beauty of it is you are free to experiment with various knots and weaves to create unique and attractive patterns. You can also accent hemp jewelry with beads of different colors and sizes. Dyed hemp fibers are available in a wide range of colors and textures, so its fun to think of how to make several hemp rings, necklaces, bracelets and anklets that will go with your everyday outfits. Sources of inspiration abound, including numerous web sites that specialize in hemp fashion.

Hemp jewelry has been associated with the hippie culture of the 1960s and thats not a bad thing. Its a relic from that era that has evolved to fit with todays fashion trends, with both the young and not-so-young wearing it all the time. But making hemp jewelry does not have to be confined to a certain genre or style. Whats important is the fun factor, as well as the satisfaction experienced in a job well done.

Why Marijuana Should be Legal

Many Americans feel that Marijuana is helping fund the war on terror, but making a war on drugs and keeping Marijuana illegal has not stopped millions of Americans from smoking pot everyday. So what is the answer?

First, why is Marijuana illegal? In the 1930’s William Randolph Hearst, who had significant financial interests in the timber industry testified to congress on the evils of marijuana, saying things like it make people insane and commit acts of cannibalism? at this time very few even knew what it was and to stop people from going insane Congress decided to make it illegal.

The truth is many paper manufacturers were thinking of changing from using trees to make paper to using hemp because it was cheaper and easier to grow and better for the environment, and Hearst stood to loose millions so he used his influence and testimony to help get marijuana banned in the USA.

So now that we know why it was made illegal, we can realize that not only would making it legal in the United States stop terrorist from smuggling it into the USA, but would give us another option to cutting down of millions of trees every year for paper products that can be made better from hemp.

Hemp has thousands of uses that we are unable to exploit because of its illegal status.

During WWII hemp was used for the rigging on parachutes as well as rope and material for uniforms.

Nowadays Marijuana can be used to relieve pain and some of the effect of cancer treatments and old age.

It has been proven to slow down the spreading of Alzheimer’s, relieve the pressure behind the eyes from glaucoma. It also helps relieve migraine headaches and the side effect of cancer treatment.

But until the United States realizes how much money can be made from legalizing it, it will remain illegal.

This is much like the situation with online casinos in the USA. America was sending billions of dollars out of the country and the government needed to do something to keep the money here, so they banned Online Casino and just like online casinos and online gambling I believe one day the government will learn to take advantage of these things instead of just banning them.

Eventually the USA will realize that the best way to stop the flow of money out of the country is not to ban marijuana or online casinos, but to enter the market and compete.

If the USA did what Amsterdam has done the government would make not only billions in Taxes from the sales of Marijuana, but the economy would boom from all the tourism that it would bring in from all over the world.

The truth of the matter is that legalization is inevitable. The attitude of people has changed so drastically over the last 30 years, that eventually when the younger generations start to take over marijuana will eventually become legal because they understand the truth, and that is banning something only makes the market for it stronger.

Hemp and Marijuana

Hemp/industrial hemp and marijuana are two distinct varieties of the same plant species. Hemp is a fiber crop. Marijuana is a drug crop. However, these definitions have become confused in the last 60 years. Recently, a movement has begun to distinguish the terms again. It is important to understand the history of usage of these terms in order to eliminate the confusion.

1600-1930s Hemps Long History in North America


The word hemp has been in the English language for over 800 years. The word marijuana is only 100 years old.
From the first settling of North America until the 1930s, hemp was the most common term for Cannabis sativa fiber crops. Marijuana was never used to describe hemp fiber crops, which were grown for canvas, rope, fuel oil, and paper. Hemp fiber crops were historically low THC and completely non-psychoactive.

1930s-1940s Marijuana tax Act confuses Hemp and Marijuana


In the 1930s, the psychoactive (high-THC) variety of cannabis sativa, imported from Mexico, became common in the southern U.S. It was called marijuana, a word popularized through the Reefer Madness campaign, to distinguish it from the hemp fiber crops (which no one ever smoked).

In 1937, the passage of the Marijuana tax Act hopelessly confused the terms hemp and marijuana. For the first time, Congress defined these distinct varieties of Cannabis sativa as being the same. What had been commonly known as hemp was now marijuana.

1950s Hemp Crops Become Extinct

In 1957, the last hemp fiber crop was harvested in the U.S. Because low-THC Cannabis sativa fiber crops were now extinct, the word hemp dropped out of use and was forgotten.

1960s Marijuana Legalization Movement Begins


In the 1960s, the psychoactive variety of cannabis sativa (marijuana) became popular among the counter-culture. The movement to legalize marijuana in the 1960s and 1970s did not use the term hemp to describe marijuana.

1985 Hemp/ Marijuana Movement Begins


In 1985, the word hemp re-surfaced in the book The Emperor Wears No Clothes by Jack Herer. This book uncovered information that had been lost for almost 40 years about hemps historical uses as a fiber crop. The book also touted hemp as a solution to modern environmental problems.


Because The Emperor was targeted at a marijuana movement and since it was not widely known that low-THC varieties of hemp existed in Europe and Asia, it was believed that marijuana must be legalized to allow industrial uses of hemp. And because it was the environmentalists and the counter-culture that began promoting hemp as an alternative fiber crop, they were not taken seriously.

1989 European Farmers Grow Hemp


In Europe, some countries (like France and Spain) had never stopped producing hemp. In 1989, the European Economic Community developed rules to govern hemp production that applied to all its member countries. The EEC defined registered seed varieties for low THC hemp and methods for testing hemp for THC content.

1993-1994 England and Canada Grow Hemp


In 1993, England officially recognized the difference between hemp and marijuana, to make its farmers competitive in the EEC. In 1994, Canada, seeing competition from Europe, allowed hemp production.

1994 Kentucky Appoints Hemp Task Force


In November of 1994, the Governor of Kentucky, seeing competition from Canada and Europe, appointed a Task Force to study the commercial possibilities of hemp in his state.

1994-1995 Hemp/Industrial Hemp Movement Begins in U.S.


For the first time, farmers, manufacturers, processors, and agricultural researchers in North America began to take a serious look at hemp as an agricultural crop and alternative fiber. As well, the hemp environmentalists within the marijuana movement see that registered seed varieties exist to distinguish hemp from marijuana.

This diverse coalition begins using the word industrial hemp (or simply hemp) to refer exclusively to low-THC non-psychoactive varieties of Cannabis sativa. The goal of the industrial hemp movement is to allow legitimate production of hemp fiber crops and to explore the environmental benefits of hemp as an alternative fiber, pulp, and oil source.

Jan. 1995 Colorado Senator Introduces Hemp Legislation


In January 1995, Senator Lloyd Casey (D-Northglenn), made Colorado the first state to attempt to define hemp/industrial hemp as distinct form marijuana when he introduced the Hemp Production Act. Unfortunately, this bill was killed in Committee due to objections from the federal Drug Enforcement Administration.

Oct. 1995 North American Industrial Hemp Council Formed

In October 1995, the steering committee of the North American Industrial Hemp Council made industrial hemp an entirely distinct issue, separate from the legalization of marijuana.

Jan. 1996 Colorado and Vermont Introduce Hemp Legislation


Legislators in two states introduced industrial hemp legislation, Sen. Lloyd Casey (D) from Colorado and Rep. Fred Maslack (R) from Vermont.

Jan. 1996 Support for Hemp Grows

A strong coalition of diverse organizations now supports Industrial hemp, including:

American Farm Bureau federation (4.6 million member)
Colorado Farm Bureau
Colorado Department of Agriculture
Colorado State Grange
Kentucky Farm Bureau
Kentucky Hemp Growers Cooperative
Wisconsin Agribusiness Council
Wisconsin Department of Agriculture
International Paper Company
Bolton Emerson Americas
Colorado Environmental Coalition
Oregon Natural Resources Council
HIA (Hemp Industries Association)
North American Industrial Hemp Council


Most, if not all of these groups have specifically stated that they are opposed to the legalization of marijuana. They realize the difference between hemp/industrial hemp and marijuana and that hemp/industrial hemp can be grown safely without affecting marijuana laws, production, or use.

Today: Making Progress…

25 of 53 state hemp-related bills introduced since 1995 have passed and overall, 14 states have successfully passed hemp-related legislation. In 2002, hemp bills have been introduced in seven states: Arizona, California, Hawaii, New Mexico, Vermont, Wisconsin and West Virginia. The CA, HI and WV bills have passed, the NM and VT bills have died in committee, and the AZ and WI bills have been held until 2003.

Reasons Recreational Cannabis Use Should Be Legal

The Prohibition of cannabis has caused more problems than cannabis ever has. Because of it, millions of lives have been ruined, and everybody has had to pay the price.
There are tons of reasons why the cannabis plant should be made legal again. I say again because for the vast, vast majority of human history, not only was cannabis not prohibited, but it was widely utilized and respected. In 1619, it was illegal NOT to grow cannabis, because it was in such high demand that the government had to force people to grow it. Due to mass ignorane, misinformation, and lies, cannabis has become something that many people actually see as a bad thing. In reality, it is an incredibly useful resource that can be used to overcome many of the problems that humanity faces.

For now, I will focus on the harms that are caused only by Prohibition of smokable, THC-filled cannabis, not industrial hemp (although the latter is a travesty in itself). As of now, in the majority of states, if a police officer finds you in possession of any amount of cannabis, you will be arrested, one of the worst experiences anyone can undergo. You will need to pay at least $1,000 for a lawyer. Then you will need to go to court, where you will be put on probation from six months to a year. You may need to take off work to see your probation officer, and you will need to pay for the drug tests they issue you, as well as any drug classes you are required to take. How come people who are found in possession of alcohol do not have to do the same thing? Alcohol is literally infinitely more dangerous than cannabis, and is so destructive that it is present in over 30% of violent crime. Yet if somebody is found using a completely safe substance, instead of something that can destroy their life, then they in turn have their life destroyed anyway.

How can anybody stand for this kind of treatment of our citizens? I personally know many people whose lives have been greatly hurt by cannabis prohibition, including my own. The damage is horrible and prolonged. For what? For smoking a plant that can save the world and alleviate the suffering of millions. If that is not insantiy, I don't know what is.

By legalizing cannabis, we would save all these people who are currently in pain because of Prohibition. We would enjoy billions of dollars in tax revenue, and billions in law enforcement savings. Drug cartels would lose 60% of their revenue. Although I believe all drugs should be legalized, if cannabis alone was, and police were able to focus only on harder drugs, that would be pretty close to an ideal world.


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Cannabis - Narcotic with Therapeutic Effects

Cannabis- Narcotic with Therapeutic Effects
By Nilutpal Gogoi 

Cannabis has connection with mankind for thousands of years. Cannabis has psychoactive and therapeutic qualities. The cannabis plant can grow up to five meters in height in the wild. It flowers between the fag end of the summer season to late autumn. The earliest reference to cannabis has been some Chinese records written in 2800 BC. Cannabis is a wild plant in many Asian countries. Cannabis is widely deemed to have originated in India. Many indigenous communities across the world have been using cannabis for several purposes like religious, recreational, and medical.

Many physicians prescribe medications having cannabis to patients suffering from such ailments as glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, HIV, and cancer, besides several others. Cannabis also provides the vim to the heart and the results have been proved to be akin to a person exercising regularly in the gymnasium!

Nowadays, cannabis is identified as a drug. Cannabis is banned in many countries. Often, cannabis users deprived of the drug have been found to be aggressive in nature. In other words, cannabis is addictive psychologically. The effect is quite similar to steroids that are anabolic in nature. What is more, addicts of several hard drugs have been found to be the sources of major sociological or health problems. But a study has shown that cannabis users are less prone to create such nuisances. More than 400 chemicals constitute cannabis. Cannabis has been used by many indigenous people because of its psychoactive effects. The primary psychoactive element in cannabis is 'THC' or tetrahydrocannabinol.

Too much of cannabis smog can adversely affect the blood pressure process and a person can even faint due to this effect. People having a history of such health problems like circulation and heart disorders, besides schizophrenia must totally avoid cannabis. Such people can have complications even if they become passive smokers. Habitual cannabis smokers suffer from lung cancer, emphysema, and bronchitis. Moreover
Therefore, the best way to avoid being a cannabis addict is to say 'NO!' to the drug the first time ever. There is always the risk of a habitual cannabis user taking to more harmful psychoactive drugs like cocaine and heroin.

The cannabis plant, Cannabis sativa or Cannabis indica, is also known as hemp, cannabis, and marijuana. Cannabis is nicknamed variously as grass, resin, dope, herb, pot, smoke, puff, weed, marijuana, and ganja, besides the hundreds of other names. Despite the bans, many youth have been found to be hooked to cannabis across the globe.

Cannabis has more tar as well as carcinogens (agents that cause cancer) than tobacco. It is to be noted that this drug affects the body more than alcohol, tobacco, and amphetamines. In fact, cannabis is more addictive than the aforementioned three popular addictive elements.

The strongest and concentrated form of cannabis oil is manufactured from the cannabis resin. The resin is dissolved, filtered and finally evaporated. In the United Kingdom, this oil is bracketed along with cocaine and heroin and is a drug under the Class A classification.
The cannabis resin is extracted from the cannabis buds as blocks. These cannabis blocks are then heated and crumbled when they become ready for use.

The hue of the cannabis resin can vary from green to dark brown. This form is popularly called 'hash', 'soapbar' or 'black'. 

The herbal form of cannabis is known as 'skunk', 'weed' or simply 'grass'. It is prepared from the dried or powdered buds of the cannabis plant.

Researches on cannabis have thrown up interesting data. Take for instance the finding approximately 46 per cent of people in the age group from 14 to 30 have been hooked to cannabis even if temporarily. What is more, 50 per cent of these people have subsequently returned to the herb. Cannabis smoking has been found to be more popular then net surfing in the USA. While in the UK, as much as 78 per cent of the people held for drug related offences have been found to possessing cannabis.

Nilutpal Gogoi is a writer and a freelance journalist having more than 18 years of service in several audio-visual and print media reputed organizations in North East India. He has published one popular adventure book for children and has published more than 1000 articles for various sites, as such http://www.betterlivingsite.com/, http://www.shapeuphealth.com, http://www.lifesourcewellbeing.com/

Article Source: Cannabis- Narcotic with Therapeutic Effects