Montreal

Law Enforcement

Experiences with Montréal police varied widely. Some people described racial profiling, tickets or worse, especially when police saw individual bags or larger amounts. Others had the weed handed back, got a friendly wave while smoking a pipe after dinner or walked straight past a cruiser with a spliff and watched it drive off.

Parks felt easygoing until security showed up. In Westmount, the public security officers in bright yellow Jeeps were the “Banana PoPo.” They could ask you to leave or call the police. Cannabis was described as legal for medical use only at the time. Rules on adult personal possession have since changed. See Marijuana Laws.

Where to Buy Marijuana

Around Mont-Royal, the punks tended to show up after noon. People also talked about rue Sainte-Catherine by the UQAM métro exits and Saint-Denis downtown. In Laval and Saint-Eustache, reachable by train, it was sometimes cheaper and a deal could come with a gram or two extra. Street arrests there were said to be uncommon in the two or three years before that account.

Verdun, NDG and the West Island had their own followings. Montréal students often had better leads than strangers at the métro, where a “gram” might be only 0.8 g. At Mont-Royal park, a full gram of green could go for C$10. Around the station, C$10 might buy half that, although it could still be a good, long-lasting smoke. Visitors sometimes got quoted about 50% more than through regular contacts.

On Sundays, the Tam-Tams on Mount Royal had drumming, vendors, sword fights and good chronic. Find a spot on the grass and the bud might come to you. Some people swore by the Rasta crowd there, but the rule was to see the weed before handing over cash. A trusted connection might deliver right to the house and weigh the bud in front of you. Now that’s called service.

Late on Saint-Denis, the cheap hotels and people selling crack gave it a rougher edge. Sainte-Catherine had more bars, clubs and smoke shops. After 2 a.m., a conversation that started in French could switch to English and end with somebody asking if you wanted trees.

Marijuana Prices

Larger amounts usually worked out cheaper. These are the main Montréal quotes, with neighbourhood comparisons below.

• C$10 for 1 g or C$20 for 2.5 g
• C$25 for what was usually 3.5 g. The other weight was recorded as “30” and is unclear.
• C$45 for a “set” of 7 g
• C$60–80 for a half-ounce
• C$100–220 for an ounce

In NDG the quotes were C$10 for a gram, C$25 for an eighth and C$40–50 for a quarter. Mont-Royal park had quotes of C$10, C$30 and C$50 for those amounts.

Types of Marijuana

Affordable hydro M-39 and “exos” were common. Other names included Jack Herer, Triple Jack, Jack Berry, Québec Gold, Skunk, AK-47, Afghan, Blueberry, Silver Haze, Red Rooster, Bubblegum, White Widow, Kush, Apollo and Nebula. Over twenty kinds could turn up in a couple of years. The contrast was between compact hydro M’s and fluffy, beautiful Jack. If your name happened to be Jack, the choice made itself.

More Information

Blueberry crossed with Skunk was a standout. People sometimes passed out free bud or joints. The summer sales pitch was as loud as the city: come to Montréal, blaze in the clubs, check out the honeys and “don’t just try the pot, let the pot try you!” Head shops such as High Times, Boutique Rock and Le Rock had smoking and growing gear, with regular, king-size, six-inch, twelve-inch and roll-out papers. Zig-Zag, Smoking, Bob Marley and OCB were among the names.

Around Québec it was “pot,” and a joint could be a bat. Someone from France asking for beu might get a blank look. The Canadian roll was a single small paper, weed only. On a cross-country hitchhike, a prairie farmer or a guy in a suit might pull a bag from under the passenger seat with a smile: “Would you roll a joint? And here’s for you on your way…” Hydro was more common, though the warmer west had good outdoor flower.

Around the UQAM exits, sellers would run out, leave to reload and draw a crowd when they came back. There were stories of police clearing the crowd and rumours about Hells Angels territory. Saint-Denis by Couche-Tard was another spot. Around Mont-Royal, the afternoon punks were often friendly. Once the spring sun came out, parks filled up and the odd café terrace smelled of weed.

New Year’s 2007 was a mixed bag for two visitors. A friendly woman at a head shop pointed them to Mont-Royal métro. Three punks across the street were smoking two joints and had two big friendly dogs, one of which licked a visitor’s trousers. The group said they were from out of town too, possibly Toronto. C$20 for a promised 2 g turned out to be little more than a gram of disappointing M-39.

Later, near Sainte-Catherine and Guy, a group of four offered Bubblegum for US$20 a gram. It was decent, about like the Beasters back at UB. After the money was gone, another seller offered better weed, and even the first guy agreed it was better. He dropped from $20 to $10, still too late. Montréal itself was a hit: friendly people, an 18 drinking age that mattered to a twenty-year-old from New York, and good Cuban cigars, especially Cohibas.