Weed in Busan, South Korea: 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 Busan. My post covers info about weed laws, regulations, general attitude of locals and cops, hash VS weed availability and pricing, failures and success in searching weed in Busan.

Just finished my vacation, stayed 2 weeks in Busan, and as a heavy weed smoker I can't imagine a vacation without some sativa joint during the day and indica buds with some beer before heading to sleep. Below you will find info on what I found out while searching for tasty non-medical weed in Busan.

Where to Buy Cannabis in Busan

So, how do you actually buy cannabis in Busan? Simon shared some insights. Big dealers in Busan often source their products through the darknet — using services like DrChronic or Bitpharma. They then resell the cannabis to locals and tourists. While this method is possible, it’s not really practical for short-term visitors. Navigating the darknet and waiting for a package can be complicated and time-consuming.

If you are just having a short vacation or a trip to Busan - 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 Busan, 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 Simon 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 Simon.

Attitude of Busan 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 Busan, 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 Busan, 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.

As I was actively asking and discussing weed - Simon invited me to his apartment for a small party that very first evening - just a couple of his rasta friends, beer, weed and PS5 - exactly what I do love😁😁😁. How lucky I was😁 Simon told he will be my weed dealer while I am here in Busan so I had no issues with great stuff all that time.

Simon also confirmed locals are OK with weed in Busan if you behave yourself correctly, while it’s better to avoid cops and not to have more than 10 grams in your pocket.

Marijuana laws in South Korea

It is important to outline that high % THC cannabis, weed, and hash are forbidden in Busan. You can not officially purchase marijuana strains with high at least some reasonable THC % concentration in some coffee shops like in the Netherlands. Medical cannabis may be available for purchase at dispensaries, but you will never get high with CBD buds you may find.

In the bar of my hotel I met Simon who has lived here in Busan for a while, so knows a lot about 4:20 movements😁. He said that strict official regulations are not so tough in practice.

Laws and regulations of weed in Busan

All products with high THC (substance in cannabis that makes you high) above 1% are strictly forbidden for distribution. But in fact according to Simon cops are rather relaxed about weed in Busan and rarely touch tourists, but this always depends on the exact cop and whether he likes your face or not.

So theoretically if you do not smoke in public and get caught with not more than 10g of weed or 5g of hash in Busan - you should not get arrested. Cops 👮may take your stuff and after some conversation should get you free, but better to avoid all this stress anyway.

Question / Answer session about marijuana in Busan

Is high % THC weed forbidden in Busan?

Yes, non-medical cannabis is regulated and restricted in Busan, while police is relaxed about marijuana and having less than 10 grams with you should not result in imprisoning anything serious.

Anyway what if you get caught with some THC cannabis product in Busan?

Depends on the situation, but if officers think you are a drug dealer for some reason who delivers stuff - you should get punished problems. In general tourists with small amounts of hash or weed are not touched at all, only dealers with large amounts.

Can I find weed in Busan in some oldschool way?

Of course you can! While sniffing dark streets / parks and pinging taxi drivers is an outdated approach for searching marijuana already - a big bunch of dealers migrated to online sales via messengers and crypto, but hustling parks and central streets in searches for weed may still give you some successful results.

Can I find high quality weed or hash in Busan?

Yes, while quality varies from dealer to dealer.

Can I find hash in Busan?

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

What is the price for weed and hash in Busan?

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

Five random facts about cannabis

1. Cannabis Has Over 100 Active Cannabinoids

In fact, over 120. The most famous ones are (you guessed it!) THC and CBD.

2. George Washington Grew Cannabis

That’s right. The first president of the United States of America grew hemp. His farms at Mount Vernon were used to grow hemp in order to make paper, rope, sail canvas, clothing, and fishing nets.

3. Multiple Species

Cannabis has three primary species: Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis, each with different characteristics.

4. Psychoactive Compound

The primary psychoactive compound in cannabis is THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), responsible for the "high" sensation

5. Medical Use

Cannabis is used to treat a variety of medical conditions, including chronic pain, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, and chemotherapy-induced nausea.