Cairo

Law Enforcement

It varied from place to place. Cannabis felt culturally familiar, and some local cops seemed to give it little priority. One claim put Egypt at the top of the Arab world for smokers, without figures to back it up. I’d still avoid needless risks.

Clean white uniforms, sunglasses and walkie-talkies were my cue to stay cool. I found those officers less lenient. Hotel guards might just complain, but don’t assume they can’t involve the police.

Where to Buy Marijuana

I didn’t find a particular seedy downtown alley or park for it. It started with a chat: taxi drivers, tour guides, waiters, cafés, people sipping tea and, on occasion, even a cop. Some people were offended by the question. Be thoughtful about whom you ask. Cannabis was seen as cheap, while alcohol had a classier image and was beyond what many people could afford.

“People were genuinely friendly.” A chat with a stranger could turn into lunch with their family. Prices were another matter. If people thought you were a tourist with money, you could be quoted far more.

At the shisha place on Road 9 in Maadi near the Metro there was no sign or building, just chairs and white tables outside. You could order tea and shisha in English, then ask the waiter for something “else” to smoke. Taxi drivers and hookah cafés could also point you somewhere, though I’d be wary of offending people by asking. I had bought an irsh, roughly three grams, and suspected all sorts of additives: amphetamines, Ping spray, coffee, henna, even camel shit. Those weren’t tested ingredients. I preferred lighter brown, softer hash.

Marijuana Prices

Tourist quotes could be inflated. One target was US$5 or less for ten grams of good stuff. Cheap liquor could sometimes be traded for more weed than the bottle cost.

• Regular hash: 100 Egyptian pounds for an irsh, described as about 3 grams.
• Hash described as better-quality Moroccan or Lebanese: 120–150 pounds for an irsh.
• Weed: 20 pounds for “a paper,” described as roughly a quarter-ounce.

These quotes came from different visits. White visitors were said to get the highest prices, while Arab, Black and brown visitors might be quoted less and still overcharged. For weed, the names to ask about were Sudanese, Moroccan or Afghan. Quality was modest and there were worries about additives.

Types of Marijuana

There was Moroccan red, blonde and honey hash, hash oil, Sudanese bongo, and Lebanese red and blonde. Local Sinai weed was getting harder to find.

Egyptian hash was hard and dark. Lebanese blonde was softer and golden brown. Biscuit hash, biscoota, was soft and light brown. Moroccan black was clay-like.

I preferred lighter brown and soft, or dark if still pliable. Break it open and look for odd color patches or material that doesn’t belong. “DENY, DENY, DENY.” Looking at it alone can’t tell you what’s in it.

More Information

If you came across hash oil, it was potent and already rare outside the Middle East. Bongo was also smoked in a local shisha pipe, or hookah.