CANNABIS COLLEGE GIVES STRAIGHT DOPE

The first mistake the unrefined marijuana sampler invariably makes is
thinking the stronger the cannabis, the better.

"Everyone comes in here thinking that strong is good and that is absolutely
wrong," said a pot tour guide who goes by the name Berry and plies his
trade at the Cannabis College in the heart of Amsterdam.

German tourist Mich Knect, 23, listens to his instruction carefully. He is
told to look for resinous plants with profuse white, crystallized flowering
heads.

Berry explains chemicals are added to hydroponic marijuana during
cultivation to cull a more potent pop when smoked.

"This is not good," Berry said. "You have to think of it like buying a good
bottle of wine. If chemicals were added, the connoisseur would spit it out.
Chemical-free is the proper way although no one seems to care anymore.
People feel strong is good."

The college, which opened in 1997, provides Amsterdam tourists with
"correct, objective information about the cannabis plant" with seminars and
tutorials. Admission is free.

Knect scribbles some points down about different strains of marijuana he
will encounter during his three-day taste tour of Amsterdam.

"The marijuana you will find is like wine -- it is different from region to
region," Berry said. "From Hawaii to Colombia to Afghanistan to Holland,
each region has its own style, its own taste."

Berry said there are more than 2,000 different types of cannabis in the
world and they break down into two major categories: indica and sativa.

Indica has thick, dense buds, the smell is strong and pungent and the high,
Berry said, is a "heavy, stoned one."

The sativas have long, thin buds, smell sweet -- almost fruity -- and after
smoking it one will experience a buzz to the body and feel more energized.

Knect and two friends are told to smoke one sativa, one indica and one
50/50 cross-breed and report back to class the following day.

The three had been to some of Amsterdam's famed coffee shops before going
to college, but were overwhelmed by the choices on the different menus.

"That is strange homework," Knect said. "I'm glad they have a place like
this because I had no idea what I was doing. The marijuana guys were using
words I just didn't understand."

Before parting, Berry has some words of warning and asks that Mich be
patient while smoking and not try to consume too much at any given time.

"Moderation, my friends, is essential," Berry said. "A wine drinker who
knows what he is doing will buy a nice bottle and enjoy it with a group of
friends, not consume the whole thing on his own."