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The Grinder, a device for grinding dried herbs as e.g. cannabis…. and its ubiquitous presence in Berlin “Späti” late night shops

by Peter-Paul Bänziger

Not only for the Swiss counterculture were certain places in the cities of central importance. Here one could buy drugs and consume and philosophize together. In Basel, people sat on the wall at Barfüsserplatz.

Nederwiet refers to cannabis originating from the Netherlands, i.e. so-called weed, which is essentially based on the breeding and optimization of new cannabis strains. These THC- and CBD-rich plant strains not only revolutionized the use of smokable cannabis flowers, buds, and leaves, Nederwiet also laid the foundation for an ever-growing cannabis industry in Europe and North America, if not on a global scale.

The Rotterdam Junkie Union was the first user-created interest group for drug users. It was formed in 1980. In the 1980s the union organized multiple protests, provided harm reduction measures, and spoke out against forced treatment for drug users. The union received subsidy from the city of Rotterdam and had close ties to Rotterdam St. Paul’s Church.