Weed in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan: my experience

Hi, smokers! You probably know that cannabis laws and regulations vary from one county to another, so let’s go deeper and try to understand what is going on with weed in Bishkek. My post covers information about weed laws, regulations, general attitude of locals and cops, hash VS weed availability and pricing, failures and success in finding weed in Bishkek.

My trip to Bishkek is over, these 10 days were perfect, so while memory is fresh I decided to write this post, who knows may be useful to someone. Being a regular cannabis smoker I could not imagine my stay in Bishkek without some daily joints. So from the very first day of my stay I started looking for weed…

Cannabis laws in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

You can probably guess that distribution of non-medical cannabis is strictly forbidden and regulated by laws of Kyrgyzstan, 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 Bishkek I got acquainted with Alex 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 Bishkek?

As Alex 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 Bishkek. 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 Bishkek 😉.

Local attitude towards weed and cannabis in Bishkek

Although only medical cannabis is allowed in Bishkek, the locals are absolutely ok with the smokers. Local dealers have big cash from the students and tourists, so they are their weed target audiences in Bishkek. You shouldn't allow yourself to smoke anywhere, for example in bars, but nobody is surprised if you get caught smoking weed in a secluded corner of the street.

One more interesting fact from my new friend Alex - even some cops in Bishkek prefer smoking weed over drinking strong. So as I understood Bishkek is a good place for smokers of marijuana because of the light atmosphere, but all the same the best rule is not to be caught with weed in Bishkek 😉.

Alex 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 Bishkek , so asked Alex 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 - Alex agreed to become my dealer for the nearest days, so all my issues with weed were resolved, thanks to Alex!

So where do smokers purchase weed in Bishkek?

Despite the fact that I did not have any problems with weed in Bishkek because of Alex, he told me how everything works (and not only with cannabis).

Usually high-level dealers purchase stuff on wholesale darknet websites. Theoretically you may also go through all the nightmare of using darknet websites to get your stuff delivered in several days or even weeks. Website thehiddenwiki.com has all the links you may need to order stuff in the darknet using Tor browser and crypto, but this method usually works if you need a lot of stuff and have time (several days) to wait for the delivery.

If you're on a short vacation or a trip to Bishkek, obtaining cannabis through wholesale darknet websites isn't a viable option. Searching for street or park dealers remains a possibility for acquiring weed in Bishkek, but an increasing number of dealers are transitioning to online transactions through messaging apps and Bitcoin payments instead of cash. This approach serves as a protective measure against potential encounters with law enforcement. Crypto payments offer anonymity, and deliveries are made to specified locations without the need for in-person meetings, ensuring both you and the dealer are shielded from potential consequences.

This revelation surprised me, as I lean toward a more traditional approach and had only heard about cryptocurrencies in passing. However, these days, most young individuals, who are often the target audience for cannabis dealers, possess crypto wallets, so dealers are simply adapting to this trend. While I believe that some dealers might lose business because not all clients are familiar with cryptocurrencies, Alex pointed out that nowadays, if you don't use crypto yourself, you likely have a friend who does. In such cases, you can simply transfer money from your card to your crypto-savvy friend, and they can conduct the cryptocurrency transaction on your behalf. This advice from Alex got me thinking, and I realized I also have such a friend, so I followed his suggestion.

Frequently asked questions about weed and hash in Bishkek

Is weed and hash legal in Bishkek?

No, cannabis with high THC is not legal in Bishkek, while police officers and locals are relaxed about cannabis and having less than 10 grams with you should lead to arrest.

What if I get caught with cannabis in my pocket in Bishkek?

Officers will check if you are a tourist or a real dealer who delivers weed. Usually tourists with small packs of hash or weed are not touched, only dealers should worry. While anyway better to avoid any interactions with cops.

May I buy weed in parks of Bishkek?

Yes you may, while this is oldschool way already and a lot of dealers are shifting to online orders, but searching parks and streets may still give you some results. While much easier would be to find dealer’s contacts and order online with further delivery.

Can I find high quality weed or hash in Bishkek?

Yes, while quality varies from dealer to dealer.

Can I find hash in Bishkek?

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

What is the price for weed and hash in Bishkek?

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 Bishkek so do not know the prices, but should be lower.

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