Oslo

Law Enforcement

Oslo could feel more pot-friendly than other Norwegian cities. Some people thought the police wouldn’t search a buyer unless they saw someone smoking, or assumed they only bothered with kids who looked under 15. Others thought officers targeted buyers more than sellers. The newer Marijuana Laws section describes a different approach to some small personal-use cases than the blanket warnings in these accounts.

By the river, the warning was blunt: “You’ll end up paying good money for some wood, or getting caught by the police. Or both.”

Where to Buy Marijuana

“The River” was the stretch from Grønland to Grünerløkka. The stop at Grønland sat between Jernbanetorget and Tøyen, and it felt as if every line took you there. “About the size of Yankee Stadium,” with “300 different pushers” on “EVERY SINGLE CORNER!” was how it looked to someone who knew that side of town.

Before the crackdown, competition was said to keep quality high. Then came a year or two of soap bar ground up and cut again, or outright wood and rubber. There were sellers of many backgrounds, and people offered conflicting advice about whom to trust. I’d avoid gangs and arguments, and wouldn’t carry much cash.

For better hash, there was a busy daytime pub in lower Grünerløkka. The regulars were mostly in their forties or fifties, more like old beer lovers than hippies. I trusted them for repeat business and worried younger strangers would cheat me. From about 1 to 5 p.m. you might find five or six people selling, with two varieties if you asked around. Later it could get dearer or worse. People would order a beer first and quietly ask the bartender where the “hash pub” was. Few youngsters went there and it was packed during the day.

Jordal, the well-known school area, and Tøyen came up too. “Tøyen is my hood,” but the local warning was about gangs and violence there. At a youth hostel on Skippergata I saw hash dealers and sex workers on seemingly every corner. Everyone I asked spoke English. There were loads of police, though I thought looking like a tourist made a stop less likely.

A changing riverside scene

The old faces retired and new ones took their place. Good hash still turned up if you were lucky or knew somebody. I’d rather ask someone who looked like they actually smoked than buy from the river crowd.

“Fuck them all.” Check what you’re being offered before paying. Some people judged by smell, taste or a little burn, and sellers might distract you. Avoid a group, and if somebody cheats you, don’t go back to argue.

Marijuana Prices

About 100 kroner a gram, but five-gram slabs were more common: 400 kroner, or 500 for something special. Hash also ranged from 80 to 125 kroner per gram. Some sellers threw in half a gram to compete.

Good weed was usually 100 kroner a gram. I saw quotes of 125–150 but thought they were bloated. I found the skunk fresh, smelly and stronger than hash, though others saw mostly Jamaican marijuana and thought weed was less common because hash was easier to conceal.

Euro quotes varied: €12–12.70 a gram of hash, €44–55 for five grams and €89–100 for ten. There was also €60 for five grams of mediocre hash. Weed was quoted at €19 a gram or €64–69 for five, and in another account at €12 for a gram and a half of dubious quality.

By the kilo, Amsterdam brand-name hash was quoted at 50–60 kroner a gram, with soap bar at about half that. Hydro could run as low as 50, more often 60–70. Some thought soap bar was nearly disappearing. Others saw it everywhere.

Types of Marijuana

“At least 90% of the market is soap bar,” was the estimate for Norway, slightly less in Oslo. Familiar contacts were the route to hash like you’d find at a Dutch coffeeshop. There were dark and light varieties, including Nepalese charas and Nederhash.

Even mid-grade weed usually beat soap bar. Names included White Widow, Super Haze and Big Bud. Growers often favored yield, and a seller who didn’t know the name would probably call it “skunk.” On the street some of the African schwag was full of seeds.

Summer 2007 brought blackish Moroccan “export” hash, less impressive red and yellow Lebanese, and some Dutch Pollen.

More Information

Hash was easier to find. “It is very rare and not very good,” Adam said of weed. “The hash is better.” Private house parties and good clubs were where people met contacts. At night a rushed seller was a reason to watch for rip-offs. Don’t be afraid to walk away.

“Weed is definitely not okay in Norway! Your ass will get locked up,” said Danny from Indianapolis. At the time the U.S. Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs cited rising fines for possession or transport and blamed harsh winters for limited local growing. Oslo health chief Ellen Christiansen had pushed for looser laws since the mid-’90s without much success. Rob from the UK called the official attitude “self-righteous blindness and sheer scientific ignorance.” In one period estimate, 19% of Oslo’s 15- to 20-year-olds reported trying hash or marijuana, against about 9% elsewhere in Norway.

Long evenings in Oslo

Long daylight makes for long nights out. Rådhus and Aker Brygge had the busiest bars. Universitetsgata and Rosenkrantz gate were a little slower. Many places stayed open until three or four and served snacks if the munchies struck.

Savoy Bar had stained glass (Universitetsgata 11). The Scotsman packed in locals for eclectic bands (Karl Johans gate 17), and Beer Palace served more than 50 brews (Holmensgata 3). For dancing, Karl Johans gate was the center. Rebekka West (Kristian IV’s gate 7) went from punk to country. Mars (Storgata 22) played ’90s house during the week and live music at the weekend. If a bar was too expensive, there was the supermarket or Vinmonopolet. At the time the age limits were given as 18 for grocery-store beer and 20 at Vinmonopolet.

Stalls sold bread, fruit and sandwiches. Hamburgers and pølser, Norwegian hot dogs, were good value. Enjoy the long nights, but Oslo didn’t feel especially pot-friendly by European standards. “Watch out for undercover cops,” Adam said.