Cannabis in North Korea

The status of cannabis in North Korea is unclear due to the lack of sources available to the outside world, with some observers stating that cannabis is effectively legal, or at least tolerated, in the country and others arguing that this is a misapprehension and that the drug is illegal.

History

Early history

Cannabis was an important crop in ancient Korea, with samples of hempen fabric discovered dating back as early as 3,000 BCE.[1] The traditional sambe cloth is made from hemp.[2]

Modern accounts

In 2010, the American NGO Open Radio for North Korea stated that their source informed them that a crackdown on meth had been announced in Hamkyungbuk-do; however, the crackdown was focused on methamphetamine, with opium and marijuana not being considered "drugs".[3] In 2013, citing sources at NK News and Reddit, Vice News reported that cannabis was widely used and tolerated in North Korea, smoked as ipdambae (잎담배, "leaf tobacco") by the lower classes as a cheap alternative to cigarettes and to relax after a day of labor.[4] According to Lexi De Coning of MassRoots, it is fairly common for North Koreans to grow their own marijuana, or to simply harvest marijuana plants which grow wild across the country.[5]

However, a reply by journalist Keegan Hamilton in a 2014 article in The Guardian sought to debunk these as rumors. He cited Matthew Reichel of the Pyongyang Project who notes that ipdambae is actually a mixture of herbs and tobacco, superficially resembling cannabis but unrelated. Cannabis is cultivated industrially, but in the form of low-THC hemp, and while some people may cultivate personal amounts of psychoactive cannabis, its use is still illegal, though it is also unlikely to be punished severely.[6] A Swedish ambassador to North Korea reported to the Associated Press in 2017 that "there should be no doubt that drugs, including marijuana, are illegal here. One can't buy it legally and it would be a criminal offense to smoke it; expect no leniency whatsoever."[7]

See also

References
  1. Chris Duvall (15 November 2014). Cannabis. Reaktion Books. pp. 30–. ISBN 978-1-78023-386-4.
  2. Singh, Emily (2016-10-21). "Drugs in South Korea: A Silent Crisis | KOREA EXPOSÉ". Koreaexpose.com. Retrieved 2016-12-08.
  3. "Drug Users Face Firing Squad". Open Radio for North Korea. 27 October 2010. Archived from the original on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 21 November 2016.
  4. "North Korea Smokes Weed Every Day, Explaining a Lot - VICE - United States". 16 January 2013.
  5. "Global Marijuana Policies: 4 Countries with Unexpected Regulations - MassRoots". 15 February 2016.
  6. Shearlaw, Maeve; experts, North Korea (13 May 2014). "Mythbusters: uncovering the truth about North Korea" – via The Guardian.
  7. Talmadge, Eric (11 January 2017). "North Korea is a bad trip if you're looking to get high". Associated Press. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
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