Weed in Pavlodar, Kazakhstan: 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 Pavlodar. 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 Pavlodar.

I have just finished my trip to Pavlodar, 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 Pavlodar without having some weed in my pocket. Below I will outline information I found out while looking for some good smelly green buds in Pavlodar.

Marijuana regulations in Pavlodar, Kazakhstan

You should know that storage and distribution of non-medical cannabis is forbidden and strictly regulated by laws of Kazakhstan. This means you can not go and buy some good weed in an official shop like you may do in Canada for example. Low THC and high CBD cannabis may be ordered if you have a prescription from a doctor.

On my first evening in Pavlodar I met Olaf who moved here a couple of years ago. I got lucky - he was one of the heavy weed smokers, so he agreed to share a joint with me and tell me some stories about local dealers. As he said from the very beginning - even though weed is prohibited in Pavlodar - cops are overall calm and relaxed in everything related to cannabis, this made me feel better.

What are the consequences of being caught with marijuana in Pavlodar ?

In reality, as Olaf pointed out, if you're over 18 and possess fewer than 20 grams of cannabis or 10 grams of hashish and refrain from public consumption, you shouldn't anticipate any legal trouble. At most, law enforcement may seize your belongings once they confirm you're not involved in distribution.

Typically, law enforcement officers do not interfere with foreign tourists who are enjoying their vacation or conducting business trips in Pavlodar and contributing to the economy of Kazakhstan.

Where can one acquire cannabis in Pavlodar?

Although I personally didn't face any issues with obtaining cannabis in Pavlodar thanks to Olaf, 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 Pavlodar - 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 Pavlodar, 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 Olaf 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 Olaf.

What do Pavlodar locals think about weed and cannabis

Despite non-medical cannabis being officially forbidden in Pavlodar - locals are absolutely absolutely relaxed about this type of light drugs. Young people and tourists are large target audiences for weed dealers in Pavlodar, and all locals know that. This does not mean you may smoke joints in any bars, but no one should be surprised if they find you smoking weed somewhere in the dark corner of the street.

According to Olaf - even local cops in Pavlodar are occasional weed smokers, so we may state that the atmosphere is relaxed in everything related to cannabis, while you should anyway watch your back to avoid any stressful situations with police.

The overall attitude of locals to weed is rather relaxed, so you may even feel yourself home in Pavlodar after one good joint, telling this from my own experience. Olaf shared with me a joint of simply perfect sativa (while he did not know the exact strain). We were smoking outside the bar, and saw other guys doing the same on the other side of the street 😁 So I can definitely say that smoking weed is rather popular in Pavlodar.

I’ve asked Olaf if he may share contacts of his dealer, cause stuff was out of this world. He told me that his exact dealer does not work with new people, so he will be my dealer during my vacation, which was simply perfect. I wish everyone to find your own Olaf in some bar of Pavlodar.

Can I smoke cannabis on the streets in Pavlodar ?

In some places, smoking marijuana in public, on the streets, or in parks may be illegal and subject to administrative sanctions. My advice is to try to avoid smoking marijuana in public places.

What will happen if I get caught with cannabis in Pavlodar ?

Usually, law enforcement tends to be lenient with tourists, and if they don't suspect you of dealing, they will most likely let you go.

Can you recommend a place to buy weed in Pavlodar ?

As I mentioned before, I was fortunate to meet Olaf. If I were you, I would look for Telegram channels and avoid interacting with street dealers.

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

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

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

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

What the price for weed and hash in Pavlodar?

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

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