Beijing

Law Enforcement

Early on, people described police turning a blind eye to foreigners and public smoking seeming fairly easy. As Beijing became more international, that began to change. There were rumors of new laws, rewards for informants and a sweep of African street sellers. Around the Olympics, patrols in Sanlitun were hard to miss.

Some people called hash possession “relatively legal” while saying sale was illegal. The newer Marijuana Laws section describes possession as prohibited. Apparent tolerance in these encounters was never a legal protection.

Where to Buy Marijuana

Sanlitun Bar Street, the KFC west of it opposite the City Hotel, and the bars on Nüren Jie were common starting points. West African sellers were part of the scene. I found nothing in Haidian. In Sanlitun, a pipe or paper vendor might have a little hash.

Buying hash felt almost as easy as buying fake DVDs to me, though judging who to trust was harder. “Yo, wassup” could quickly become “You want some shit?”

For a steadier hookup, get to know other smokers and keep a phone number. People also mentioned the restaurant floor at Ya Show Market and Mix Club at night.

Marijuana Prices

Prices were often by packet or block. I heard 150–250 yuan generally and 100–150 for a block (US$18–25 then). Later, 200 yuan for a 3 x 3 cm block sounded normal. Look before paying because you’re rarely dealing with weights.

Other quotes included US$25 for 1.5–2 grams, 100 yuan for a gram or packet of hash, 150 yuan for half an ounce of schwag, 200 for half an ounce of K2 and 120 for a few grams of weed sold as African.

As flower got harder to find, quotes reached 150 yuan a gram while hash held steadier.

Types of Marijuana

Hash was the reliable option, though plenty was impure soap bar. Weed included schwag or K2, and occasionally better green with orange hairs through a good contact. A lot of the so-called African weed was terrible, and overseas origins were often doubtful.

Some hash was sold as Nepalese or made in China. I heard ecstasy came from Hong Kong or in batches of a hundred pills or more from places like New York. Weed and hash were harder to pin down.

China, UTC/GMT+8, calling code +86 and Beijing area code 10.

More Information

During the Olympic cleanup, people pointed to a little shop by a newspaper stand selling papers and bongs. Other tips were the 3.3 building, san dian san, and the stretch from Shooters to A Lil’ High.

Ask a bartender about da ma or hash, or talk to expat teens and people you meet. One visit felt open and the next much less so.