Darque Pervert

OK, I was flipping through a new High Times magazine today...

And there's an ad for vacation packages to Oakland, California, which they are labelling "Oaksterdam". This label, along with the ad running in a marijuana magazine implies that Oakland is similar to Amsterdam in its tolerance of our favorite smokeable.

According to the ad, here's what you get in their package:
- 2 nights in Luxury Oakland hotel
- O'dam Limo Pick up from Oakland Airport
- Oaksterdam VIP Tour
- Oaksterdam Gift Bag (with budbar selections, t-shirt, stash box and lighters)
- Lake Merrit Boating Experience

OK, I lived in Northern California about three years ago. There wasn't much in Oakland that anyone would consider "luxurious". Even the hotels at the airport weren't upscale. They weren't skanky or anything, but they were run-of-the-mill business-class hotels, not luxurious.

As I recall, there's not a lot to see in Oakland, either. You can see where the sports teams (A's, Raiders & Warriors) play, the port of Oakland, the airport, and where the freeway collapsed in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake.
It's also a dangerous place, as I recall. It is the community in the Bay Area that consistently had the highest crime rates, particularly violent crime (murder, rape, assault).

I know somje other members live in NorCal presently. Has Oakland changed so much that it's actually a nice place to visit?
I can't see that happening, as the Oakland I remember was the epitome of urban blight. I was working at a place in downtown Oakland and literally watched a purse-snatching in front of where I was working. The proprieters were nice enough to let the woman use the phone to call the police and her boss...

As far as being toker-friendly, I'd think the only reason it could be that way is because the Oakland PD has so much else to deal with (remember the violent crime?) that MJ users aren't on their radar screen. I also remember reading about several medical MJ dispensaries in O-town getting raided and closed down while I lived there.

"Oaksterdam" my ass!

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highesthigh

ya i live in san francisco and go over to oakland every once in a while, but not ever really for pleasure, more for the airport or to go somewhere, and your right about the MJ tolerance, they dont arrest many people at all for weed, unless huge deals, because they DEFINITELY have way more important things to worry about, but it hasnt changed much in the last couple years, so im not sure what high times is fantasizing about haha

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imported_Pariah

Oakland is still basically a run down city with a ton of crime and problems. I actually just rode the BART into San Francisco and when I went through Oakland I remember thinking to myself, "I'm really glad I don't live here." It basically looked like a ghetto, though the area near the airport is pretty nice. There are some nice restaurants on the strip out near the airport.

Edit: Check these links
http://www.urbandictionary.com/defin...erm=Oaksterdam
http://www.oaksterdamnews.com/

It seems like it could turn out alright, maybe involving toking on some medical shit?!?!

troublemaker_42

Will someone please tell me why people believe that "medical shit" is somehow superior to street weed? it isn't....its not cheaper, nor more potent. yes, you have a better chance of it being the strain you are told it is, but "medical marijuana" for all practical purposes, is no different than the weed you and i can buy on the street. The only advantage to "medical marijuana" is that, with the proper DR's recommendation, its legal to possess in certain states

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Itzamna

The most expensive strain at the clubs is either better or equal to my old dealers.

The Best thing in the world about the clubs and the reason why med marijuana cards are so great is because you can buy quality HASH, keif, and edddibles, the weed isn't much for bragging about but the Hash is great. I never had a consistent hook up on hash till i got my card.

imported_Pariah

I don't think that. I've had good medical stuff, and good stuff from a regular dealer. The cannibis clubs in my area just happen to be really consistent, and provide very high quality marijuana. I don't think it is better than street weed just because its from the club...I'm no joker.

guntroll

Nope. Oakland is a slum really. All I ever go there for is to visit my uncle or to go to A's games (which is rare) but I can tell you that much. My sister was born in that district, and when we were getting passports we needed to have the Birth certificate, they couldn't even bring the damn birth cerficicate on time.

It's filled with crime and has more murders than any other major city in the USA, had 134, if my memory serves, in 2003 alone. If you want to see a site seeing city in NorCal go to San Jose or more liklely San Fran. Best city though, would have to be Chico. My sis even says that you get weed as a tip for delivering pizzas sometimes.

guntroll

You mean Vegas is a little better and has more stuff to do, but Reno has whores (which personally is disgusting) and if you like that type of thing Reno is overall better. So is Ca. Reno or Vegas... I think Ca, may be better for weed because over there they use Euros which are 1.25 dollars ea. and something priced at 5$ here would be 7-10 euros there so you have that 5$ item costing 8.75-12.50$ which is up to a 125% difference. Though, to Amsterdam I've never been.

imported_redeyejedi

I've always believed that medical marijuana is just more likely to be well grown/cared for, whereas bud that's grown for selling in the streets might not have the same care devoted to it, due to experience, equipment/facilities, or just plain laziness.

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drOnly

yeah it would seem medical marijuana would come from someone that knew what they were doing.. plus its always fun to choose your strain off of a menu rather then getting random street weed.