The status of cannabis in North Korea is unclear due to the lack of sources available to the outside world. Some observers say that
cannabis
''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae. The number of species within the genus is disputed. Three species may be recognized: '' Cannabis sativa'', '' C. indica'', and '' C. ruderalis''. Alternative ...
is effectively legal in
North Korea
North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu (Amnok) and T ...
, or at least tolerated, while others argue that this is a misapprehension and that the drug is illegal.
History
Early history
Cannabis was an important crop in ancient Korea, with samples of hempen fabric discovered dating back as early as 3,000 BCE.
The traditional
sambe cloth is made from
hemp.
Modern accounts
In 2010, the American NGO Open Radio for North Korea stated that their source informed them that a crackdown on meth had been announced in
Hamkyungbuk-do; however, the crackdown was focused on
methamphetamine, with
opium and marijuana not being considered "drugs". In 2013, citing sources at
NK News and
Reddit
Reddit (; stylized in all lowercase as reddit) is an American social news aggregation, content rating, and discussion website. Registered users (commonly referred to as "Redditors") submit content to the site such as links, text posts, imag ...
,
Vice News
Vice News (stylized as VICE News) is Vice Media's current affairs channel, producing daily documentary essays and video through its website and YouTube channel. It promotes itself on its coverage of "under-reported stories". Vice News was create ...
reported that cannabis was widely used and tolerated in North Korea, smoked as ''ipdambae'' (잎담배, "leaf tobacco") by the lower classes as a cheap alternative to cigarettes and to relax after a day of labor. According to Lexi De Coning of
MassRoots, it is fairly common for North Koreans to grow their own marijuana, or to simply harvest marijuana plants which
grow wild across the country.
However, a reply by journalist Keegan Hamilton in a 2014 article in ''The Guardian'' sought to debunk these as rumors. He cited Matthew Reichel of the
Pyongyang Project who notes that ''ipdambae'' is actually a mixture of herbs and tobacco, superficially resembling cannabis but unrelated. Cannabis is cultivated industrially, but in the form of low-THC hemp, and while some people may cultivate personal amounts of psychoactive cannabis, its use is still illegal, though it is also unlikely to be punished severely. A
Swedish
Swedish or ' may refer to:
Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically:
* Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland
** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
ambassador to North Korea said in 2017 that "there should be no doubt that drugs, including marijuana, are illegal here. One can't buy it legally and it would be a criminal offense to smoke it; expect no leniency whatsoever."
See also
*
Legality of cannabis
The legality of cannabis for medical and recreational use varies by country, in terms of its possession, distribution, and cultivation, and (in regards to medical) how it can be consumed and what medical conditions it can be used for. These ...
*
Smoking in North Korea
References
{{Cannabis by country
North Korea
North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu (Amnok) and T ...
Politics of North Korea
Society of North Korea
Drugs in Korea