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 marijuana is illegal in the country.
History[edit]
Early history[edit]
Cannabis was an important crop in ancient Korea, with samples of hempen fabric discovered dating back as early as 3000 BCE.[1] The traditional sambe cloth is made from hemp.[2]
Modern accounts[edit]
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, but that 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 not condoned, though it is also unlikely to be punished severely.[6]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ Chris Duvall (15 November 2014). Cannabis. Reaktion Books. pp. 30–. ISBN 978-1-78023-386-4.
- ^ Singh, Emily (2016-10-21). "Drugs in South Korea: A Silent Crisis | KOREA EXPOSÉ". Koreaexpose.com. Retrieved 2016-12-08.
- ^ "Drug Users Face Firing Squad". Open Radio for North Korea. 27 October 2010.
- ^ "North Korea Smokes Weed Every Day, Explaining a Lot - VICE - United States". 16 January 2013.
- ^ https://www.massroots.com/news/global-marijuana-policies-4-countries-with-unexpected-regulations/
- ^ Shearlaw, Maeve; experts, North Korea (13 May 2014). "Mythbusters: uncovering the truth about North Korea" – via The Guardian.
