Maybe you knew this, maybe you didn't: marijuana seems to be legally available for sale in North Korea. A Vice article earlier this year revealed that "ip tambae," or "leaf tobacco" is both grown and smoked without apprehension or consequence in Pyongyang. North Korea apparently lacks the restrictions for marijuana that are present in the U.S. Book your trips accordingly.
However, be warned that tourists who actually hire tour guides (people still do that?) are unlikely to get the opportunity to indulge, as wise guides steer clear of the legal weed. One writer, Darmon Richter, chronicled his North Korean weed-smoking experiences on some Hunter S. Thompson shit:
We were just walking past the tobacco sellers when we spotted another stall ahead, piled high with mounds of green rather than brown plant matter. It turned out to be exactly what we first suspected: a veritable mountain of marijuana.
Richter did what any smoker would do if the opportunity presented itself: purchased rolling papers, rolled up and starting smoking dead in the middle of the market. This is life. Unfortunately, he shoots down any "Pyongyang is the new Amsterdam" by explaining that the weed just isn't as potent. It was too good to be true, but still might be worth a visit.
[via Kotaku, Vice and the Bohemian Blog]
