Amsterdam

Posted on: mei 31, 2023

Coffeeshop Bulldog 90 – The First

De bekendste coffeeshop van Amsterdam, mede omdat het een van de oudste van de stad is. Dit is de eerste coffeeshop van The Bulldog-keten en de derde coffeeshop in Amsterdam. Het is waar het verhaal begon.

Coffeeshop Bulldog The First on the Oudezijds Voorburgwal.

In 1974, this used to be a sex shop, which the owner – Henk de Vries – inherited from his father. One day, a guy walked in and asked Henk if there was also pornography with animals for sale. This was the point that Henk de Vries realized that he no longer wanted to own a sex shop. After removing the customer from his store, he threw porn products into the canal. Then he told his friends that the store would be converted into a living room for the neighborhood where smoking is allowed.

Kort daarna veranderde het in iets groters toen toeristen de plaats ook begonnen te vinden. In december 1975 werd coffeeshop Bulldog de eerste opgericht door Henk de Vries.

Geschiedenis

In de begindagen van Coffeeshop Bulldog The First werd de winkel ook een soort oefenterrein voor de Amsterdamse politie. De politie viel de nieuwe coffeeshop vaak meerdere keren op één dag binnen. In deze Bulldog-winkel kun je meer leren en zien over deze opwindende geschiedenis. Tegenwoordig is de winkel meer dan alleen een kelder, het is een volwaardige coffeeshop die bestaat uit 3 niveaus. Binnen is er ook een souvenirwinkel en een mooi terras aan de gracht voor die zonnige dagen.

Henk de Vries: Wiet brengt me rust op hectische momenten… Als ik thuiskom, rook ik graag een joint en analyseer ik de dag weer op een heel ontspannen manier. (bron)

Coffeeshop Bulldog The First In Amsterdam

Coffeeshop Bulldog de eerste was niet de eerste coffeeshop in Amsterdam, ondanks wat sommigen beweren. Of Holland wat dat betreft. De eerste Bulldog coffeeshop was eigenlijk de derde coffeeshop die in Amsterdam werd geopend na respectievelijk coffeeshop Mellow Yellow en coffeeshop Rusland.

De eerste coffeeshop in Nederland stond niet eens in Amsterdam maar in Utrecht. Die eerste coffeeshop in Nederland heette Sarrasani – genoemd naar een beroemd Duits circus – en was gevestigd in een werfkelder aan de Oudegracht in Utrecht. Het opende in 1968.

Tolerated Cannabis Policy

Cannabis policy in the Netherlands is tolerated. This means that the possession and sale of small amounts of cannabis for personal use by coffee shops is allowed, although it is officially prohibited. There is a pragmatic approach, with the government recognizing that the sale and consumption of cannabis cannot be completely eradicated, and therefore allows the sale and consumption to a limited extent. This approach is aimed at reducing the delayed impact on society and the health of users. However, the production and distribution of cannabis remains prohibited and is being combated by the police.

Cannabis Supply

Coffeeshops in the Netherlands, including The Bulldog in Amsterdam, are required to obtain their supply of cannabis illegally as production and distribution is still prohibited. There is no legal market for the supply of cannabis to coffee shops. In the Netherlands, a pragmatic approach is used in which the government allows sales and consumption by coffee shops, but combats production and distribution. This means that the coffee shops must obtain their stock in a “don’t ask, don’t tell” manner. This is a policy of “ignoring” where the government allows the sale and consumption of small amounts of cannabis by coffee shops, but does not actively seek the source of the supply.

Wist je dat dat het in Nederland niet legaal is om cannabis voor commerciële doeleinden te produceren?

Two men smoking cannabis on the terrace of The Bulldog.

Coffeeshop Bulldog The First Is Popular

In 2016 the owner of the world famous Bulldog first appeared on what can be considered the Dutch Forbes 500 list (Quote 500). Hij kwam de lijst binnen op plek 254 van de rijkste individuen van Nederland. Zijn vermogen werd geschat op zo'n € 95,- miljoen euro. Niet slecht voor iemand die begon vanuit een kelder in een seksshop op de Wallen in Amsterdam.

Henk de Vries: I have never met a councillor or mayor who took the time to talk to me about the issues in Amsterdam Red Light District. (bron)

Future Of The Bulldog

The Dutch politicians do not want to listen to Henk de Vries. But there is interest in America. There, cannabis is becoming legal in more and more places.

Henk de Vries: “My dream comes to life there. Cannabis has become a billion-dollar business. Weed earns more than cigarettes.”

And so there are great opportunities for The Bulldog. The franchisees are eager. Those are not the least.

Snoop Dogg & Mike Tyson

“I’m talking to Mike Tyson and Snoopy Dogg. They both want to open a Bulldog business. ‘You’re name is priceless’, they say. It will happen, but I prefer to open 20 businesses right away. I’ve never had business-partners, but if an investor wants to pump 200 million into The Bulldog now, we’ll have a meeting for sure. We are a healthy business, I have no debt and now is the time to move forward. The Bulldog will be much bigger than the Hard Rock cafes. Believe me!’ (bron)

Where was The Bulldog 90 First in Amsterdam?

This coffeeshops is located on the Oudezijds Voorburgwal 90 in the Red Light District of Amsterdam. Just next to The Old Church.

BEKIJK OOK:

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