I lived in Amsterdam for about 18 months in the early 00s and visited with work well over a hundred times. Here is the deal: the Red Light District, a short walk from Central Station up the Geldersekade, it is fun for about a day lol. Beware...it is a tourist trap frequented mainly by Americans, Brits and other puritanical nationalities ...the only locals you meet there, work there. The coffeeshop culture is typically Dutch.... cannabis is technically illegal, but the law is not enforced. That being said...do not even THINK of trying to take any out of the country...as that IS punishable by law and enforced. Over the past few years, there has been a push to crack down on coffeeshops and 'smart shops' by the conservative Christian Democrats...claiming that many are money laundering operations for Al-Quaeda and the Russian Mob.
There is so much to the region outside of the RDL and getting baked. You can literally walk from one end of the city to the other...so bring good shoes. Open air markets, the Ann Frank Haaus (one of the most powerful,depressing places Ive ever been), canal cafes, etc. The Cockring is a fun gay/bi nightclub where anything goes; i was there about a month ago and you had to check your clothes at the door...it was naked night lol. There is a spa called Thermos that is amazing. Yes, it is sort of a bath house..but it is also a day/night club, restaurant, bar, salon and social club.
Oh...by the way...when you go clubbing or hang out in a coffeeshop...it is NOT ok to get stupid in public. The Dutch drink like fish and get loud, but public intox is a major no no.
If you go in the fall...be prepared for miserable weather...allot like Chicago in November...chilly and damp. Since it is so far north..the days shorten faster than here...so by November it will be dark by 4-430pm. Send a msg if you have any other ??s