Prague

Law Enforcement

Smoking weed drew little attention if you kept to yourself. You'd see people smoking on the street, in parks, in some pubs and in plenty of regular music clubs. Think music clubs, not discos. See Marijuana Laws for the legal overview.

Where to Buy Marijuana

A friendly conversation with someone who was already smoking could lead to an introduction. Headshops were another possibility, though some were starting to clean up their image.

Watch out for the street hustle: someone walks by whispering “marijuana,” like in Amsterdam, then claims they just saw the cops and can’t show you the bag. You get a half-second peek and wind up with fake weed.

Cheap beer at C.R.

“Go to the big clock in the square. To your right, you will see an old church; to the left of that church is a walkway. Follow it through a long courtyard. When you leave the courtyard, you will pass under an awning.

“There is a great bar with the initials C.R. and the French word for red in its name. Go inside and have a drink. The beer is cheap, and there are people from all over the world. Ask the bartenders. If none of the dealers are around, be patient; they show up every few hours. Expect to pay more than the locals, though.

“It’s great. Some have stuff from Amsterdam, but even the average stuff can be hard to come by in the U.S., depending on where you live. Whatever you do, don’t buy on the main square. It’s a rip-off.”

An American expat’s take

“I’m an American expat stoner, and I’d been living in Prague a little over a year. The C.R. tip was right. C.R. stands for Chateau La Rouge. It was a good bet if you’d just arrived and wanted quality smoke quickly, with little hassle and at a fair price. I didn’t bother asking the bartenders. The guys I met in or near the bathrooms were friendly as hell and always had good weed.

“Prague is very liberal about weed; you have nothing to worry about. There are several places that are basically Amsterdam-style coffee shops: you walk in, order weed from the bartender, sit down, roll up, and smoke on the premises. I won’t give out most of their names because they aren’t really geared toward backpacker stoner tourists. Hang around long enough and you’ll find them.

“One place that does cater to tourists is Reggae Bar, just off the main square. If you’re standing at the bottom of the square looking toward the museum, it’s on the third street down from it on your right. Any of the buskers on the square can point you toward it. Sit down and someone will come over offering weed; they know you’re a tourist and why you’re there.

“Don’t try to haggle. Prices run from 250 a gram—about 12 bucks—to 500. At 500, you’re paying club prices, and you’ve paid way too much. You can find weed in clubs such as Roxy, but it costs more. Look for the black gentlemen around the restrooms. They have everything from coke to pills. Pills in Prague are very cheap and generally very good quality.

“If you can avoid buying on the street, do. You’ll pay too much and the quality is shit. I worried about being robbed or pickpocketed, too.” The expat singled out Roma sellers in this warning, a personal prejudice rather than a way to judge the risk.

“Prague is a great place and very liberal when it comes to weed. You can smoke just about anywhere. I’ve had cops walk right past while I was smoking; they just look at you and keep going. It’s fantastic. If you make it past 5 a.m. between Thursday and Sunday, visit Le Clan. You’ll never be the same. Check out Cross Club, too.”

Marijuana Prices

The going rate was around 250–350 Czech crowns per gram, depending on the seller. A gram could also cost 500 CZK, described as “a little over a quarter by U.S. standards,” though the comparison is unclear. “I am told the locals pay 250 CZK for the same. But hey, it’s still a good deal where I’m from.”

Types of Marijuana

Skunk was the most common weed in Prague. It was tasty, though less potent than what you’d find elsewhere. Then again, some of it was “very strong, almost Holland-type” weed.

More Information

Don’t buy from street dealers. They’ll rip you off 96.8% of the time. Seriously, it’ll just be asphalt!

Travel details recorded with the guide: Czech Republic, UTC/GMT+1, calling code +420.