Cannabis in Almaty, Kazakhstan - my story

Hi there, hustlers 🤝Welcome to my longread about weed in Almaty, done from my own experience plus some local stories.

As you all know cannabis regulations differ in different countries, so the point of this article is to cover marijuana laws in Almaty, attitude of police and local inhabitants, weed VS hash availability and price range, my own experience related to weed in Almaty.

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.

We were a little drunk already when Sam offered a joint of some noname sativa strain, of course I agreed. We were smoking not far from my hotel and it seems I saw other guys doing the same near another cornet 🙂So may say locals are not against weed, I saw this myself.

I liked the weed Sam shared, not the best one I’ve ever tried, but good enough. So I asked Sam to share contacts of his dealer, while he refused telling me his dealer works only with an old trusted set of clients. So I simply asked Sam if he could be my dealer during the nearest days - he agreed. I wish everyone to find his own Sam in Almaty🙂

How to get weed in Almaty?

I did not need a dealer in Almaty because I had Sam, anyway it was interesting for me how gears work in Almatyin relation to cannabis.

High-level wholesale Almaty dealers purchase weed and hash on the darknet websites. Usually these sites are about wholesale multi-kilo orders, but some also work with small amounts. So in fact this may be an option #1 for you - under the condition you know how to use darknet features of Tor browser and .onion sites + ready to wait 3-5 days for the delivery. If yes - you may find all the info about darknet websites on thehiddenwiki.com - darknet wikipedia.

If you are the person who doesn't want to wait or you vacation in Almaty is too short for waiting, only the local dealer can save your time and help with weed. Of course, you can just use the familiar way many people find it to wander around the city looking for a stranger who can offer you a small variety of joints for cash. But I think it's not the best manner to waste your time in Almaty. In our time almost all sellers work online and use cryptocurrency, so walking around the streets may not bring you any results. Now the way of buying cannabis has become more convenient - you get some contact of a dealer, write to him via messenger, choose what you want to buy, pay via crypto and get the delivery to a hotel or previously discussed place. If you don't know any contact of a dealer just ask some barmans or just use google. One more point you should notice that dealers try not to have a personal meeting with the buyer, so the package of weed is just placed in the previously discussed place and you get the photo and GPS tag of the exact place of your purchase.

I was really surprised because I was totally sure that “cash rules the roost”. But now when you can easily convert cryptocurrency to real cash and this point excludes personal meetings thereby, cash started to lose their positions in the drug business. Sam also advised me if you are not familiar with the crypto world, just ask your friends. He was totally sure that everyone nowadays has at least one friend who is close to the crypto and likes smoking as well. So you can just ask him to make the transaction for you. It is absolutely safe for both sides.

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.

What if I get caught with marijuana in Almaty?

In fact, according to Sam - if you have less than 10g of weed or 5g of hash and behave correctly + do not smoke joints in public - nothing critical should happen. Cops will check if you are not intending to sell the stuff being a real dealer, they should just confiscate weed after a short talk.

People say sometimes police officers try to get some material benefits from catching you with weed in Almaty. These stories are rare, but mind that some cops may force you giving them some money to leave you alone. But never try to offer them anything yourself, this may be treated as a separate crime. Easier just to watch your back not not get 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.

Can I find high quality weed or hash in Almaty?

Yes, while quality varies from dealer to dealer.

Can I find hash in Almaty?

Yes, a lot of dealers sell both weed and hash, so hash is also popular and can be found in Almaty. Not all dealers have it, but it is still rather popular.

What is the price for weed and hash in Almaty?

Prices vary from dealer to dealer and usually depend on stuff quality and dealer’s greediness 😂From what I saw - super high quality weed may go up to $20 - $25 per 1 gram (while the more you buy - the lower price you get), and high quality hash was around $30-$35 per 1 gram. Have not purchased low quality weed in Almaty so do not know the prices, but should be lower.

Interesting facts about weed