Ganja in Shymkent, Kazakhstan - ma story

Hi, folks! Today I plan to share my rasta-experience after visiting infinite party Shymkent in Kazakhstan. Brief conclusion - for some reason it’s not easy to get really good🍀cannabis buds or hash in Shymkent in an “oldschool way”, but options do exist. Below I describe what is going on with weed in Shymkent.

Got back home from Shymkent just 2 days ago, so writing this post with fresh memory smoking a small joint of white widow strain. Had an amazing stay in Shymkent that would never be so cool without sex, drugs and rock’n’roll smelly ganja buds.

Marijuana laws in Kazakhstan

It is important to outline that high % THC cannabis, weed, and hash are forbidden in Shymkent. 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 Joe who has lived here in Shymkent for a while, so knows a lot about 4:20 movements😁. He said that strict official regulations are not so tough in practice.

How the Cannabis Law Is Enforced in Shymkent

Technically, any cannabis product with more than 1% THC is illegal in Shymkent. However, Joe explained that the police tend to be relatively relaxed when it comes to cannabis in Shymkent, especially with tourists.

If you’re caught with a small amount — less than 10 grams of weed or 5 grams of hash — you’re unlikely to face serious consequences. The police might confiscate your weed, but it’s unlikely you’ll get into much trouble as long as you’re discreet.

So where do smokers purchase weed in Shymkent?

Despite the fact that I did not have any problems with weed in Shymkent because of Joe, 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.

But if you are just visiting Shymkent for several days (or up to 2 weeks) and need some weed - dealing with wholesale darknet websites looks like not the best way to spend your time. This is the point where local dealers rush into this game. But if you think you can easily find street dealers with good stuff nowadays - do not hurry so much, the situation with weed in Shymkent has changed already.

Now dealers switched to another approach - you simply find their messenger contacts from someone who purchased weed in Shymkent already or on some forum comments, choose stuff from menu, discuss drop off area (this may be some hotel or approximate area), after you pay in crypto (yes, now this is #1 payment option for all “dark” payments) - and stuff gets delivered and dropped where you agree. Package with weed is usually masked, you get a photo and coordinates where to pick up your stuff. As a result - no official payments and no meetings in person (you choose just the approximate package drop area, not the exact place where you meet) - so both you and the dealer stay secure and anonymous. This was a little surprise for me, at home I simply buy directly from my trusted dealer via cache, but we have what we have. How happy I was that I met Joe so I do not need to go through all this 🙂

What do locals think about ganja in Shymkent

The fact that cannabis is strictly regulated by f*cking officials the government does not mean that local inhabitants of Shymkent are too much against weed. Mostly - they simply do not care. Of course it is better to preserve some common rules and not to smoke weed in public in Shymkent, but even if someone notices you - this will not be treated as some crime or inappropriate behavior.

The overall attitude of locals to weed is rather relaxed, so you may even feel yourself home in Shymkent after one good joint, telling this from my own experience. Joe 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 Shymkent.

I’ve asked Joe 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 Joe in some bar of Shymkent.

Weed in Shymkent: Your Questions Answered

Is high-THC weed illegal in Shymkent?

Yup, you won’t find high-THC bud legally unless it’s medical, but the cops aren’t usually trippin' if you’re packin' less than 10 grams.

What happens if you get caught with weed in Shymkent?

Depends. If you’re lookin' like you’re movin' weight, you could catch some heat. But most tourists with a small stash aren’t bothered much.

Can you still find weed the old-school way in Shymkent?

For sure! While the darknet and encrypted messengers are where it’s at now, you can still hustle around parks or chat up the right taxi driver and might get lucky.

Top quality weed and hash in Shymkent - truth or myth?

Yes, truth, but complex to find. Quality differs among different dealers.

Is it possible to find hash in Shymkent?

Yes, a lot of dealers sell both weed and hash, so hash is also popular and can be found in Shymkent. Not always available, but rather popular.

Price for weed / hash in Shymkent?

Prices vary from dealer to dealer and usually depend on quality and anything else. 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 seen low quality weed in Shymkent so do not know the prices, but should be lower.

Five random facts about cannabis

1. Weed Was The First Online Sale

Of course, it was illegal back then. In the early 1970s, Stanford students bought a bag of weed from MIT students. This means that the first product ever sold online was cannabis!

2. Bob Marley Was Buried With Grass

The musical star was buried with his red Gibson guitar, a cannabis bud, and a Bible open on the 23rd Psalm, which reads: “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures”. Way to go, Marley.

3. Cannabis Can Both Relax & Invigorate You

This mainly depends on the type of strain you use to consume. Indica is more relaxing and sedating, while Sativa is more uplifting and energetic. You can choose either or a mix or both for interesting results!

4. Fast-Growing

Hemp is one of the fastest-growing plants and can reach maturity in just four months, making it a highly sustainable crop.

5. Terpenes

The distinctive smell of cannabis comes from terpenes, aromatic compounds that also contribute to the plant's effects.