Buds and weed in Almaty, Kazakhstan - my impression

Hello dear rasta audience🤝Want to tell my story about adventures with weed in Almaty, with some stories of local inhabitant.

You are probably aware that marijuana laws are different in different places. This article should shed light on cannabis regulations in Almaty, what do local people and cops think about weed, hash availability, pricing, my own experience etc.

I have just finished my trip to Almaty, stayed there for 10 days, now got back home, writing this post while memory is fresh and with a solid joint in my left hand. As a regular weed smoker I could not imagine my stay in Almaty without having some weed in my pocket. Below I will outline information I found out while looking for some good smelly green buds in Almaty.

Attitude of Almaty locals to weed

You already know that good non-medical marijuana with high % THC is not something you can officially buy in a branded cannabis shop in Almaty, but this does not mean locals are too much against weed 😃. Youngsters and students are definitely those who share their love of cannabis and welcome new smokers in their circles. They can not imagine a good party without having a joint or two, while it’s hard to join them if you are already a “25+ old man”.

In general smoking some occasional joint after a long working week is a pleasant tradition among many people in Almaty, so no one will point fingers at you seeing how you are smoking weed, but better to avoid doing this publicly just not to bring useless attention.

Sam shared with me a small joint of some unknown indica strain that evening, this was exactly what I needed. We were a little bit drunk and were smoking near my hotel directly on the street near trash containers, and it seems I saw other guys doing the same on the opposite side of the street.

One joint is good - but I needed weed for the whole period of my stay in Almaty , so asked Sam if he could share contacts of his cannabis dealer. The answer was negative, simply because his dealer did not accept new people. But as we became close after the joint - Sam agreed to become my dealer for the nearest days, so all my issues with weed were resolved, thanks to Sam!

Where can one acquire cannabis in Almaty?

Although I personally didn't face any issues with obtaining cannabis in Almaty thanks to Sam, he did enlighten me about the process (and not just related to cannabis).

Typically, higher-level dealers procure their inventory from wholesale darknet websites. In theory, you could navigate the complexities of using darknet platforms to have your order delivered in a matter of days or even weeks. The website thehiddenwiki.com provides all the necessary links to make purchases in the darknet using the Tor browser and cryptocurrencies. However, this method is generally more suitable for those seeking larger quantities and have the luxury of time (several days) for delivery.

If you are just having a short vacation or a trip to Almaty - purchasing weed via wholesale darknet websites is not an option. Looking for dealers on the streets and in parks is still something you may do to find some weed in Almaty, but more and more dealers are shifting to online orders done via messengers and payments in bitcoins instead of cash. This simply protects them from ever being caught by cops. Crypto payments are anonymous and delivery is done to selected location without any personal meetings, so both you and the dealer are secured from any possible consequences.

This was a surprise for me cause I am more old school and just “heard something about crypto”. While now all youngsters (who are usually a target group for cannabis dealers) have crypto wallets so dealers simply follow the trend. I think dealers are losing money anyway because not all clients know crypto, but Sam commented that nowadays if you do not use crypto - you 100% have a friend who uses it, so you may just send him money from card and he does crypto transaction for you. After that I remembered I also have such a friend, so I agreed with Sam.

Cannabis laws in Almaty, Kazakhstan

You can probably guess that distribution of non-medical cannabis is strictly forbidden and regulated by laws of Kazakhstan, so you can not purchase high THC weed in some official shops like you may do in the Netherlands for example.

On my very first day in Almaty I got acquainted with Sam who has lived here for 3 years already and who is also a regular cannabis smoker. He shared a joint with me and told some stories. As he told that despite non-medical weed being prohibited - cops are relaxed and calm in everything related to cannabis, with some rare exceptions.

How not to be arrested with marijuana in Almaty?

As Sam told me - for not to be arrested you can carry less than 10g of cannabis or 5g of hash. For the same purpose you should be sane and not use drugs in public places. Cops can just check if you are going to sell marijuana or not and confiscate it.

There are some possibilities that cops could try to get money from you if they catch you with weed in Almaty. It is not a frequent story, but you should keep in mind that some cops prefer to force you to pay some money for your calmness. But not to propose money first because it can be regarded as a separate crime. So the easiest way is not to be caught with weed in Almaty 😉.

Frequently asked questions about Cannabis in Almaty

Is cannabis legal in Almaty?

No, non-medical cannabis is not legal in Almaty, while cops are relaxed towards weed and having less than 20 grams in your pocket should not result in arrest.

What if I get caught with weed in Almaty?

If cops think you are a real dealer who delivers stuff - you will have problems. But usually tourists with small amounts of hash or weed are not touched at all, only dealers should worry.

Can I buy weed on the streets of Almaty?

Yes you still can. This is an outdated approach already so more and more dealers are switching to online sales, but hustling parks and central streets may still give you successful results. While much easier would be finding dealer’s contacts and order online with further delivery.

What quality of weed or hash can I find in Almaty?

There are a lot of weed and hash variants in Almaty. What you get depends on the amount of money you can afford to pay.

What about the hash in Almaty. Can I find it?

Yep, hash is also popular in Almaty. So almost all dealers can propose it to you.

What the price for weed and hash in Almaty?

As I said, the quality needs to be paid. And the price can differ from provider to provider. From the words of Sam - top level weed can cost near $20 - $25 for 1g and for good hash you can pay $30 - $35 for 1g.

Interesting facts about weed