Vancouver, BC, Canada

Smoking tolerance level [1= very illegal 5=virtually legal]: 4 – Everybody does it, but the cops are starting to get a little annoyed by everyone thinking they can do it where ever and whenever they want.

According to WBH’s local smoker: “Yes, people smoke in parks. That is a very popular spot. But they usually choose a quieter spot in the park where there are not too many people – unless it is a Cannabis celebratory holiday or something.

Nobody wants to impose on those who do not smoke. Unless they are ignorant little punks.

In movie houses? Well … that’s pushing it a little I’d say. If you do have the guts to smoke in a movie theater, just know that you most likely will either be asked to leave, or very rudely asked to leave.

I would most definitely agree that it is just about on par with tobacco smoking in BC, and I would also agree that Vancouver (as well as Surrey, Chilliwack, and Coquitlam all in BC) is a very smoker-friendly place to be. ”

Legislation: it is against the law to possess marijuana in Canada. If you have baggies, scales or other selling paraphernalia, you may be charged with trafficking.

Cannabis is schedule II in Canada (for more than 3 kg). Canada’s cannabis control laws are spottily enforced, with the west coast (British Columbia) being well known for its high quality cannabis and low levels of enforcement. In 2002, Canada’s federal government made several findings in favor of cannabis legalization and medical use approval. Although the status of medical cannabis is still in flux (sep 2002), the Canadian government has several times voiced its intention to support full medical use. Non-viable Cannabis seeds and Cannabis stalks (that do not include leaves, flowers, seeds or branches) are exempted.

In July 2000, an Ontario Court of Appeal ruled against the Canadian law because it did not address medical necessity and on July 31, 2001 a new regulation was enacted by the cabinet which addressed medical use. In January 2003, a lower Ontario court ruled simple possession laws banning cannabis unconstitutional, although it is unclear what the long term implications of this might be.

Law Enforcement: Cops are very lenient. If they find anything under an ounce on you most of the time they will just take it away. If they want to be a prick about it they can give you a ticket, it’s like a speeding ticket you just have to pay it. If you have a scale or baggies then you can be charged with trafficking, but again, if you have less then an ounce they will most likely just take your scale and baggies and weed.

Marijuana illegality is hardly enforced. If you were hiking around with a couple kilo’s in a see through back pack there might be some problem, but personal possession definitely isn’t high on law enforcement’s mind.

The locals seem pretty insistent that whatever you buy isn’t meant to be for ‘export’ (to the USA).

There’s a cop shop not far from where most of the commercial pot buying and selling goes on in the middle of the city, but they seem more interested in traffic problems than people walking by trailing a cloud of BC Bud smoke.

If you smoke out in the public alot, for sure there will be a chance of getting busted, but don’t worry, just be cooperative, ‘cept for don’t rat out your dealer. The police will not do anything, maybe take away your weed for themselves to smoke.

Where to buy Marijuana in Vancouver: Our ever vigilant local reporters have helped us once again get the best info in town: “ok, where to get reliable bud at reasonable prices in Vancouver. Go to the New Amsterdam cafe on hastings st. face the cafe entrance. look left. you’ll notice stairs leading up. go up the stairs. upstairs, mill about for a moment on the carpeted area. a rough and tumble biker-type dude may ask you what you want. just tell him you’re looking for something to smoke. they have you stand on a white line on the carpet, waiting your turn. when it’s your turn, approach the desk with the rough and tumble biker dude and tell him what you want—(ie 20, 40, 60, 80, 100) —they will hook you up better than anyone on the street. in fact, many street hustlers get their bud here, then repackage and resell it to you at vastly inflated prices. this may sound somewhat more confusing than it actually is. en pocas palabras, walk up the stairs to the left of the New Amsterdam cafe b4 7 pm on any given night, and the rest will be self explanatory. it’s as easy as that. ”

“If you go into the New Amsterdam Cafe located on WEST Hastings, next to the BC Marijuana Party Bookstore, you may be able to find a fellow cannabis enthusiast amongst the many people at the tables who can hook you up. But do NOT ask the employees of the cafe if they will sell you marijuana. They are very clear that they do NOT do that.

You can find weed almost anywhere in Vancouver … just casually ask around. “BC Bud?” “Hydro?” “Chronic?” Someone will respond. Surrey is great for some really amazing marijuana as well.

Also, Blunt Brothers burnt down a couple years back now, and has been replaced by The New Amsterdam Cafe. ”

and: ” i was in Vancouver in oct. 2007 and the Blunt Bros. burn down 3 yrs. ago. you still have to buy from street dealers. then you can go into some head shop and smoke your pot. Hastings Street West is still the best place to buy. the dealers will find you if you hang out around the head shops.”

“The best place for buying pot is on Hastings Street… and it’s not hard

to find. Turn right off the main drag onto Hastings, go about three blocks — and on the left hand of the street are a number of coffee shops, head shops, and taverns. Ask anyone working there where it is and they’ll tell you. ”

“Marijuana is available anywhere in Vancouver, you will have no trouble finding street dealers, but they don’t always sell you weed, and they never have the good stuff that made BC famous. There are a few secret stores in downtown Vancouver that sells premium quality pot with a large selection of variety, you enter by a password. There are also many full-time dealers working out of their homes….it’s extremely easy to meet very friendly stoners anywhere in Vancouver, or the whole province, once u gain their trust they will definitly hook you up with a consistent dealer. If you’re visiting, make some friends by the BCMP and nearby cafes. Good dealers deal out of their homes or in ‘secret’ stores that sells only pot.”

Prices:

$25-$30 for an 1/8th.

$50-$65 for a quarter.

$80-$150 for a half ounce. Depends on quality/strain.

$220-$300 for one ounce.

Brands: “They are endless but most of the time it will be lemon hashplant, kush, OG kush, Master kush, Orange kush, purple kush, purple indica or just plain old BC big buds. ”

“Best thing about BC bud is its variety!!! A good dealer will have at least 3 different types of weed to choose from, and they will be glad to let you thoroughly check out the quality.”

More information: in BC, people from all walks of life smokes pot, lawyers, politicians, housewives, accountants, teachers, police………..BC is definitely one of the top stoner paradise. Visit the Island in the fall, when ppl harvest their outdoor crop, those are the best of the best BC buds. Also, winter will have alot more pot available than summer, thus there may be slight price difference between winter and summer. There is more pot during winter is because more electricity is used in the winter because of heater, and grow houses are less likely to get busted for the high amount of electricity usage.

However, NEVER SMOKE IN THE PARK ACROSS FROM THE HEAD SHOPS

ON HASTINGS! PLAIN CLOTHES COPS ALL OVER THAT TAKE YOUR STASH TO SMOKE

THEMSELVES…

Here is a great line up of recommended locales for having a good time after getting your smoke in Vancouver: now, once you have your bud (it will be exactly what you are after—-super potent, stinky, crystally bc bud) you can walk downstairs, order yourself a coffee in the new amsterdam cafe, and smoke a fat joint. if you like to mix tobacco in your joint, you will have to go into their special separate, glass-enclosed room for this purpose. the folks in there are generally chummy and amiable. once you are sufficiently stoned, allow me to recommend a few activities around town. if you like a good happy ending massage, hop in a cab and head over to miss cleo’s. prices are reasonable, and it can be a good way to further de-stress. you are on vacation, after all, so have fun. another fun activity while baked is to hop on one of the double decker tour buses frequently touring the sights in Vancouver. an all-day ticket is available at any hotel or hostel. a good place to stay and meet similar, like-minded young tourists, or even make a romantic connection (if you are smooth enough) is the hosteling international hostel. they have a kitchen, laundry facility, and a lounge with a computer, phone, etc. another fun activity while stoned is to take a meandering stroll through Vancouver’s Chinatown (better done during the daylight hours) and enjoy some tasty and authentic Chinese cuisine for your munchies (very reasonably priced). another fun thing to do, is to head over to Stanley park, recognized around the globe as one of the great parks of the world. you can take a stroll, be in nature, and be close enough to walk back to your hostel or hotel if you are feeling motivated enough. if you find that smoking such potent bud gives you a high level of paranoia—i suggest waking up early and going for a jog in stanley park prior to your smoke session—the endorphins released during sustained rhythmic exercise are great for counteracting pot-induced cerebral malaise. also, it will prime your lungs for the sweet smoke. another thing to keep in mind, is—no one has ever died from a pot overdose—there is no such thing. also, sometimes pot anxiety can be linked to a subconscious feeling of guilt when you smoke—you may be feeling you are doing something wrong and unhealthy when you smoke—nothing could be further from the truth— the following is excerpted, with link provided here: http://www.thecancerblog.com/2007/04/19/marijuana-halts-lung-cancer-growth-by-half/

More and more media reports are mentioning the potential merits of marijuana. The most recent headlines say the active ingredient in the drug cuts tumor growth in common lung cancers in half and greatly reduces the ability of the cancer to spread.

Researchers at Harvard University tested marijuana’s main ingredient, delta-tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, in both lab and mouse studies and say their experiments are the first to show THC inhibits the growth of cancer.

Researchers are not certain why THC inhibits tumor growth, but it could be that the substance activates molecules that arrest the cell cycle. THC may also interfere with angiogenesis and vascularization, which promotes cancer growth.

There is a long way to go in the study of THC. Yet “the beauty of this study is that we are showing that a substance of abuse, if used prudently, may offer a new road to therapy against lung cancer,” says Anju Preet, Ph.D., a researcher in the Division of Experimental Medicine.

one final piece of advice for those prone to paranoia or panic when smoking bud—-before your smoke session, head to any of Vancouver’s many bars and have a shot and a beer. after all, canada is famous not only for its pot, but also for its fine whiskeys and beers. so go ahead, have a shot of Canadian whiskey , chase it with a cold Molson, and soak up the local ambiance before heading for the weed cafe. you’ll find this simple trick goes miles towards reducing any pot-related anxiety. and don’t forget, up to two drinks per day is good for cardiovascular health….

Country: Canada

Time Zone: UTC/GMT -7 hours

Dialing codes: + 1 (Canada) + 604 / 778 / 250

Latest WeBeHigh.com City Tale:

I was in Vancouver BC in Oct 2008. I talked to about 20 stoner looking cats after a little chit chat. I dropped the hints- heard of New Amsterdam cafe? 420 scene, where’s the kind? Nothing. I go back to the hotel to talk to the night mgr who is real cool. He says go see his pal next door at the bar. The bartender says he doesn’t really smoke but makes a few calls. No dice. Meanwhile canucks- both men and women are going in the bathrooms snorting coke. I hate that shit. Wrong place. One friendly guy says go to West Hastings and Cambie ST. I drink a few beers and call it a night.

Next afternoon- I take the bus to West Hastings and try to find bud. I’m a real pothead looking dude and every major US city I visit motherfuckers always try to sell me crack, coke, meth, or BUD. I see 3 North African looking dudes smoking 2 nice size joints. I roll up an greet them in Arabic- of which I only know a few words. They smile and return the same greeting in English. I tell them I’m really jonesed out and could I please have a toke or two off the joint as it gets kinda small. One dude, Mohamed says no problem please finish half of this one joint. God Bless you man! Its Diesel and I’m now really fucking stoned. I thank them and go into the head shop next to The New Amsterdam Cafe. I ask the hip chicks working the registers if I can take pics inside. They said thanks for asking FIRST and sure. Just don’t photograph anybody in the place. Cool with me. There is a sign in the head shop ” We do NOT sell pot NOR do we know where to get it” DON”T ASK!!! FUCK! I then go next door to The New Amsterdam Cafe and every table has people rolling and smoking fat joints. I buy a beverage and try to rap to a few of these cats. Not a single motherfucker would offer me a toke, even after asking, nor tell me where to cop. One civil canuck told me it is considered BAD FORM to bum a hit or ask where to buy weed. So much for meeting up with the ” friendly” local Canadian potheads as I read in prior posts. You are on your own. Go find your own weed and then come back and smoke out. Vancouver is NO FUCKING AMSTERDAM in any way shape or form in regard to BUYING weed. I’ve been to Amsterdam 4 times in the last 20 years. I go outside and try to take a photo of the front sign and some cat is standing in front of it. I ask him to move so I can take a pic. The guy is cool and we start talking hockey since I’m a Tampa Bay Lightning fan. He tells me his name is George from Ontario. I’m frustrated as hell as its 4:20pm and the only decent folks that got me high were from Morocco.

George tells me he can get me a bag of the real BC bud. I told him: “don’t fuck with me buddy”… are you for real. I want $100 CAD worth of the REAL shit- how many grams? He tells me he can go get 12.5 grams BUT I have to smoke him out and give him a bud. FAIR. How do we do this? He says hold my wallet with my picture ID, money, etc. I then give him $100 and he will run across the way grab it and meet me outside. I tell him if you fuck me I will definitely at this point fuck you up. I’m the size of an NFL linebacker and I’m already pissed off. He laughs like hell.. and then smiles and says “no worries” Trust me dude.

I never give up the cash before I see the weed. RULE #1 in the stoners guide.

I go through his wallet and ID- its legit and money and photo id are in there. I give him the $100 CAD in the head shop. He tells me to stand out front and in 5 mins we will be puffing the kill. George says look for me to walk by on the opposite side of the street with a rolled up newspaper. Cross at Cambie and follow him. We do that and sure enough its for real. He opens the newspaper and I can smell the kind from 3 ft away. On the 100 scale its about a 95 – not quite as good as Amsterdam’s finest but its really good. Dried correctly, crystallized, looks like a half OZ or 12.5 at least, and smells like coconut. We go back into The New Amsterdam Cafe. I buy 2 carrot juices for us and we roll a fatty. MAN that was nice shit. I’m really high. The guy next to us is a grower smoking KIF from the kind he grows. Smells like killer hash. We swap joints and smoke out. FUCKED UP! Even George is floored by that shit. I hook him up with a bud and I’m on my way back to my hotel and some dinner. So 12.5 grams minus about 1 and 1/2 = 11 grams for $100CAD. Good deal.

About 3 days before I’m due to leave I’m running low. I’m at The Vancouver BC seed shop on East Hastings and I run into 2 guys from Florida. They are only in town for 4 hours and need bud. I offer to drive them to the spot. We look for George but don’t see him. I tell them I need to hit an atm to get cash. NO. They need weed NOW. I tell them I’ll drive them across Vancouver if they would front me $40 for the weed and then we can hit an atm. Its cool. We go into a joint called the CAMBIE Hostel and BAR. Within 5 minutes we have a bag of weed. I go score an eighth for $40. Roman and his friend get 2 dime bags for $20 which are .8 of a gram each. My eighth is a weighed 3.5 grams according to the guy. Same weed as from George but $4 a gram more. We try to hit an atm, the fucking machine eats my card. I try my credit cards for a cash advance. Can’t get cash. FUCK! I tell them I’m no scammer and I will mail them a $40 money order once I get to the states. I drive them half way across Vancouver. I tell them to give me an address to mail it to. I offer to give them the bag. NAH its cool. Its on us! I ask them are you sure? Yeah its cool. THANK YOU GUYS!

NOTE- you go through US customs at Vancouver Airport. If you are crazy enough to try to smuggle pot or seeds in say a conditioner bottle, shampoo, toothpaste etc. DO NOT PUT IT IN YOUR CARRY ON BAG. PUT IT IN YOU LUGGAGE. Luggage is not opened by US customs and put on a belt to the plane. Once you surrender your luggage, you then go thru the search of your carry on. ANY liquid of ANY kind is taken. I was forced to drink 2 beers (1 liter) in 5minutes as I was standing in front of a US customs agent. After the joint I smoked at 4:20am and those 2 half liter cans- I was fucked up as I boarded the plane. Overall The trip was great, people real cool, beautiful women, and good kind ONCE you can find it.. If you think its AMSTERDAM in regard to getting weed. It AIN’T. But it is a much nicer city in alot of ways. Its just a little tough to find good weed. Its a beautiful city with lots to do. I would definitely go back.

WeBeHigh City Tale:

First of all, what one should know is that weed’s called “pot”. So don’t be surprised if one asks you in the street if you sell some pot. (I think here about French people who might ask for some “beu”! The Quebecers won’t get it.

Weed is sold for $10 (Canadian bucks, of course)a gram.

If one gets the idea of crossing the whole Canada by hitch-hiking (if you’re a girl, get a man with you, though), one will meet all kind of people, from farmers in the prairies, with their pick-up, to business men, all of them with their bag of pot hidden under the passenger seat, giving it to you and telling you with a big smile “Would you roll a joint? And here’s for you on your way…”

Ha, if you especially come from Europe, be aware of the Canadian way of rolling joints. They use a single little rolling paper, and roll the weed without tobacco or anything else in it.

The weed usually smoked is hydroponic, although the sun is high enough to make some really good weed growing, particularly on the west side (no snow over there).

Vancouver is a bit different from Montreal, considering it’s in the English-speaking part. I’m talking here about the downtown Vancouver. Weed is sold all along Granville St., and the whole downtown in general. The Chinese town, next to the touristic area, is full of dealers, too. Watch your back there, though. All of them aren’t honest people, that’s all I can say in here. On Hastings, there are a few cafés in which you’re allowed to smoke weed (Blunt Brothers, and another one). A dealer is usually posted in front of them. He looks scetchy, but he’s a real one. Again, watch out, some of them are faking, and might as well run away with the money, while the real one’s reloading. Other places are beaches and parks during the summer. With a bit of luck on your side, you should find what you want.

Out of these cities, I’d say that weed is everywhere anyway. Talk to a few buddies on the street, you’ll get your way. Canadian people are very kind, you’ll have a hard time getting in trouble with them.

On the west side, Kelowna is packed with weed, Penticton too (go on the beach, there).

On the east side, same thing (except for the beaches part, haha), weed is everywhere for who knows where to look. Toronto’s particularly easy.

The country side should require a bit more attention. You’ll have to talk to farmers and native people (be careful, they often smoke shake, which is gross).

Well, for me it’s all for now, so I wish you to enjoy your trip in Canada, and always stay safe!

Thanks to the many contributors for making this page what it is!!!!!