Weed in Santiago, Chile: 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 Santiago. 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 Santiago.

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

Attitude of Santiago 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 Santiago, 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 Santiago, 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 John 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 John shared, not the best one I’ve ever tried, but good enough. So I asked John 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 John if he could be my dealer during the nearest days - he agreed. I wish everyone to find his own John in Santiago🙂

Cannabis laws in Santiago, Chile

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

As John 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 Santiago. 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 Santiago 😉.

Where can one acquire cannabis in Santiago?

Although I personally didn't face any issues with obtaining cannabis in Santiago thanks to John, 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.

While if you are having a short vacation or a trip to Santiago and need not much weed right now or tomorrow - only local weed dealers may assist you. You may still use oldschool approach and hustle dark streets or parks in search of strange person who will sell you some joint for cash, but not sure this is the best way to spend your time in Santiago. Nowadays almost all dealers have gone online and crypto already, so hustling the streets may simply not work. Now the weed-selling process looks like this - you find some messenger contacts of a local dealer (ask some barmans or simply google), contact him and choose what you would like to order, pay in crypto and get your stuff delivered to a hotel or some pre-selected location. Personal meetings are something dealers try to avoid - so weed is usually dropped at some approximate point you firstly discuss, and you get photo and GPS coordinates where to take your package after delivery.

I was a little bit shocked, because I got used to the idea that “cash rules the world”. But after crypto became something you may exchange to real cash, and do not need to meet in person to transfer it - cash started losing its points in the drug business. John also commented that now if you do not know crypto - you have a friend who is keen on bitcoins and all that shit, so you may simply ask him to help and do a crypto transaction for you. And I really have such friends, so yep, agree.

Can I smoke cannabis on the streets in Santiago ?

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 Santiago ?

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 Santiago ?

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

Is it possible to find high-quality weed or hash in Santiago?

Yes, although the quality may vary depending on the dealer.

What are the prices for weed and hash in Santiago?

Prices can vary from dealer to dealer and are often influenced by the quality of the product and the dealer's pricing strategy 😂. Based on what I observed, super high-quality weed can cost between $20 to $25 per gram (with discounts for larger quantities), and high-quality hash typically ranges from $30 to $35 per gram. I haven't purchased low-quality weed in Santiago, so I'm not sure about the prices for that, but they should generally be lower.

Interesting facts about weed