Hanoi

Law Enforcement

We saw frequent patrols around Hoan Kiem. We hadn’t heard of foreigners being checked, but I wouldn’t count on walking around with weed in my pocket. Some clubs checked pockets at the door. I’d avoid smoking on the street, in bars or in clubs.

There was talk of paying a “big fat bribe” if caught. Others worried that Vietnam was courting Chinese tourism and wouldn’t go easy on Western visitors. They speculated about prison, deportation and even execution for drug use. Those claims were unverified. See Marijuana Laws for the legal overview.

Where to Buy Marijuana

“Motorbike? Marijuana?” was what you might hear from a motorbike taxi driver or cyclo rider near Hoan Kiem Lake. There were plenty of patrols. Some visitors made the exchange during a short ride, with the weed handed over in a cigarette packet. On rainy days or in daylight, offers were much scarcer.

“We bought weed on the street late at night, but it had gone moldy and tasted foul. Binned that lot! Asking the guys at our backpacker hotel in the Old City worked better.”

“I asked around all the motorbike guys near the lake with no luck. Eventually a taxi driver sold me about four grams for 300,000 dong. Schwag that got me stoned but gave me a headache.”

“I’m Canadian and I’d lived in Hanoi for three years. There’s lots of schwag sold to tourists, but there’s also primo Laos bud and Thai stick if you know the right people. Thai stick came in summer. The Lao buds were an autumn, winter and spring thing.”

For Thai stick, the spot was Tet Bar, 2A Ta Hien, Hoan Kiem, near the motorbikes, where a young man known as Than used to hang out. For Lao buds, there was Cha Ca La Vuong Street in Hoan Kiem and the motorbike taxis there. The Lao stuff was sold in 50- or 100-gram bags, dark green and fluffy with lots of crystals. Papers were still hard to find, even with good cheap weed around.

Marijuana Prices

50,000–100,000 dong for a cigarette packet filled with weed, about US$3–6 then. The first quote could be US$10–20. Bargaining made a big difference.

• One taxi purchase: 300,000 VND for roughly 4 grams.
• Thai stick: US$50 for 50 grams, described as pressed into brick form.
• Lao buds: US$40–US$80 for bags described as 50–100 grams.

Types of Marijuana

Ordinary bush weed: 5/10. It wasn’t strong, and some didn’t burn well unless you mixed in tobacco. The Thai stick and Lao buds were a different story.

More Information

“Marijuana” and “ganja” didn’t get me far. TAI MA was the word people understood. And watch out for the bongs: people smoke straight tobacco out of them.