Amsterdam’s notorious coffee shops are not known for their mochaccinos but for selling marijuana and hashish. They have played a large part in city life and brought millions of euros into the city through cannabis tourism since the decriminalizing of soft drugs in 1976. Today, despite attempts to shut some down, more than 200 still exist, most concentrated around the Red Light District in the Old Center. Currently operating under a legal gray cloud, they cannot advertise, sell alcohol, or sell drugs to anyone under age 18. It’s illegal to buy drugs on the street in Amsterdam, so if you want a smoke, drop by a coffee shop where, ironically, the smoking of nicotine is banned.The most famous coffee shop of all is the multi-colored Bulldog, which has been peddling soft drugs to the denizens of Amsterdam since the 1970s; the empire now includes a hostel, souvenir shop in Leidseplein, and thriving online store.