Budapest

Law Enforcement

People didn’t seem that worried about talking about weed or telling you where they’d found it. That was different from getting stopped by police over using, buying or growing it.

You’d hear claims that you could pay your way out on the spot or only face a penalty if you smoked and didn’t grow or sell. Don’t count on either. And don’t drive high.

Where to Buy Marijuana

Hajógyári Sziget is the island where the Sziget Festival takes place. The bridge near Árpád Bridge led into the club area. Go straight, pass the first building on your right, and there was a marina with four or five discos, one on a boat. At the rear of the boat, you could ask where to shop. It was weekends only until 5 a.m., and demand could outrun supply well before closing.

At Keleti, the Eastern Railway Station, the spot was along the wall to your left as you faced the station. People who’d tried it told you not to bother after eight or nine. Around Moskva tér Metro, there was also the Fringe Festival park: crowds of young people playing ball and watching free theater. Start with a conversation. If you lead with weed, people might think you’re a narc.

Either way, it was better to go through people you already knew.

Marijuana Prices

“The going price was supposed to be €10 for a gram, and that's what they told you you'd get. But the deals were really small. I'm sure some were only half a gram. If you're on holiday and a big pothead like me, you're probably so relieved to have that first cone that you forget about being ripped off.”

The larger purchase below came to €10 a gram too, with the full weight. Budapest figures recorded at the time: 52,500 acres, 1.8 million residents, Hungary, GMT/UTC+2 as listed and calling code +36.

Types of Marijuana

Hungarian indoor and Dutch imports were both around. A lot of the Hungarian indoor came from Dutch seeds. You might never hear the strain name, but quality was usually good and sometimes very good.

More Information

It was hard to find marijuana without knowing younger locals. You rarely saw it smoked on the street. Ask for a light, strike up a conversation and see where it goes. Parties were easier, especially private ones. For the older generation it had been nearly impossible to buy when they were young, and many wouldn’t recognize the smell. From the late ’80s, smoking became more common among young people. Legalization movements were growing, but they didn’t yet have much support and the law was still strict.

A Saturday at Keleti

“Following an earlier report, I went to the Eastern station and met Mohamed, who was from Cairo. He said there had been plenty of smoke around on Friday evening, but this was Saturday noon and everybody was still asleep.

“No problem—we had an espresso while a couple of calls were made. Then we drove to a neighborhood near the large Vietnamese flea market and looked at several kinds of weed and hash. I bought 20 grams of locally grown Dutch weed. It was still on the wet side, but the count seemed right.

“The price was €10 per gram, straight up. Mohamed paid in the stairwell, and I assumed he took a small cut. We stopped at an ATM so I could reimburse him, then he drove me back to the station and left his mobile number.

“Interestingly, Mohamed thought selling weed was very dangerous in London, where I'm from. He said Budapest was ‘no problem’ by comparison. I know that contradicts what others wrote, but I'm puffing it right now—it does the trick.”