I did it for the first time at a coffee shop in Prague in 2009 and that was so surreal at the time. More recently I drove north over the border to Washington where weed was made legal 2 years ago. Even at that time it was a complete reality check for me purchasing any strain I wanted from a menu and then getting it over the counter. Today Oregon has allowed recreational marihuana purchases over the counter! This is still very amazing to me. I never thought this day would ever happen. If you haven't purchased cannabis over the counter at a shop like this, it is an experience you won't forget!
And now since only locals can buy there are just dealers again. It's not hard to go the store and and charge a few Euro for your time. I never understood it not being legal to grow either. So you have a coffee shop and you know the owner has to get the weed somewhere but you also know he broke the law to do it. It's hard to imagine I ever had a "guy" and not a corner store for weed. It really is better.
Amsterdam was my first time experiencing that and though it was a trip, it kinda blended into the strangeness of Amsterdam. I was already in a strange place, so it didn't seem that strange to be buying weed like that, if that makes any sense. What I experienced was more excitement, seeing all my favorite strains available on a MENU. I also loved being able to smoke in the coffeeshops, they even had communal bongs and vaporizers you could use, it was so chill. And the hash....I'll never forget all the HASH and it was so cheap! I went to CO last month and that was the real strange experience for me. I've always known the US to be a police state when it comes to marijuana, I've never lived in Cali or had medical anywhere or anything. Just being in the US, buying it in shops like going to a liquor store, walking out with it and not having to worry about the police....just fucking crazy. Its like I didn't fully realize it was legal in CO til I bought it over the counter like that and it was crazy.
I went to my first store here in oregon and the prices were $12 a gram and $35 for 1/8th oz. Back in the day it used to be $50 (or $40 if you're lucky) for 1/8th Legalization has dropped the prices