London, United Kingdom
Smoking tolerance level [1= very illegal 5=virtually legal]: 4
Legal status: Cannabis is a Class C drug in Britain. It has the lowest penalties: a maximum of two years and/or unlimited fine for possession; five years and/or unlimited fine for trafficking. It includes tranquilizers, some less potent stimulants, and mild opioid analgesics (eg buprenorphine which is used in the treatment of opioid dependency). It also includes liquid cannabis, cannabinol and cannabinol derivatives (THC) (as of Jan 29, 2004).
Law Enforcement: When caught with small amounts for personal use, the pot will be compounded, and you will be released(!).
Although the cops here aren’t too bothered about possession (you get an on-the-spot warning & they nick your stash, bastards. If you’ve got a lot of previous warnings for possession, or they think you might be dealing then it can get more serious), if the cops think you’ve been smoking weed before driving you’ll be in a lot of trouble. Might be worth catching the tube instead.
another reporter added: “Runs from ignoring it totally to arresting you if you are being a pain in the arse. Generally if you are discreet then the police will not bother you unless you give them a reason to do so. Likeliest thing is that the stuff is consficated.
Don’t smoke anywhere near where children are – parks, playgrounds or schools – the police will be much more aggressive with you if you are caught there.
Where to Buy Marijuana in London: The best grade can be in greater london, most notably in brunel university and thames valley university or through out the uxbridge road or in ‘southall’ known in papers as “the heroin capitol of london”, Where simply contacting a dealer via word of mouth will do the job. Make sure u ask for skunk or u will end up with weed or hash.
in South London – Brixton – Cold Harbour Lane there are many street sellers offering skunk. Not the safest place in the world to buy…
another reporter added: “Everywhere in the centre of the city. Contacts are easily made in Kings Cross, Brick Lane, Soho, Camden Town, Brixton and Ladbroke Grove. If you can smell the dope then there is someone selling it nearby. If you don’t know anyone, I suugest that you go to the markets in these areas and the stall holders will likely give you a hand to find a hook up.
Just a tip on Brixton and Camden Town. It is easy to buy on the street there as you will hear offers as you walk along Camden High Street and Coldharbour Lane but from a safety point of view it is better to get a hook up from someone you trust, such as a local contact. It is risky to buy weed from these areas just by hooking up on the street as some “dealers” are crack addicts who want your wallet. In other cases you may just get ripped off with something that looks like weed, smells like it but is either pure hemp with very little THC or some hermie rubbish. Use your common sense.”
London Marijuana Prices: £15 – £25 per 1/8 oz. (3.5 gr), £30- £50 per 1/4 oz, £60- £80 per 1/2 oz.
When purchasing a larger quantity, the price goes down to £100-£130 per oz.
another reporter added: “Prices are £20 for an eighth (3.5 grams) for an on the spot street deal. Only get a street deal if you’re desperate.
If you have a good hook up you can typically get an ounce for £100 – 140. ”
Brands: Mostly Skunk imported from amsterdamis sold in London.
another reporter added: “Street dealers only advertise “skunk weed” and “hash”. Neither are really true. Skunk means any smelly weed that batters you over the head, and hash is soapbar which is bootpolish, milk powder, henna, rubber tyres and perhaps the odd bit of trim from a cannabis plant. Do not buy “hash” on the street in London. If you even think about it, at least test what you are buying if that is possible.
If you have a good connection then what you can have is unlimited – much of the best stuff is imported from Amsterdam or homegrown, with very high quality.
London has more good weed than it does hashish, because of the sale of soapbar. Hashish is very hard to find here.”
More Information: When buying anything from these street peddlers be very careful. Always ask them what they have and what price and always ask them to show it to you first.
I have been conned twice by these peddlers. Once they sold me two bags of happy pills and when I checked one of them was normal aspirin and the other was a bag rolled and tightly wrapped around it self.
Also once in Camden I bought skunk from the place I normally used to get it, but the guy not only gave me to bags short and then ran away, but the bags he gave me were black and contained wheat in it.
Some amusing examples of tolerance to dope can be found in London. At the Notting Hill Carnival each year, rastafarians can be found selling huge logs of weed out of supermarket bags on the street, and its good stuff.
Generally any music festival in town should see many dealers doing business aside from the more corporate sponsored shows.
City Tale
There is one phrase that sums up London in a nutshell, lively and diverse, that is if you are of an adventurous nature. While many people prefer the tranquillity afforded the prestigious suburbs of the West End, such as Kensington and Knightsbridge, a number of visitors prefer to go where the action is. That is, to say, Central London, the East End and Soho.
Another trendy spot is Shoreditch, which is very close to Liverpool Street Station. It has many clubs and bars, and has become a trendy part of town.
A fifteen-minute ride on “the tube”, London’s subway system, and visitors are in for a treat. This will bring you to the infamous Piccadilly Circus, just south of Soho. A mere six blocks to the North is the former “Le Mirage Jazz and Blues Café”, now known as Jazz After Dark. Steeped in jazz and blues music, this is only one of the many clubs that exemplify the heart and soul of Soho. Close by is Ronnie Scott’s, home to many a legendary jazz great, as well as the newer, possibly more hip, Polar Bear Jazz Club. Soho is literally peppered with jazz and juke joints and clubs openly compete for the best performers.
For those more interested in seeing all of the sites that London has to offer, vehicle rental is an option, thereby eliminating the problems normally associated with subway systems. The freedom afforded you, especially after “tube” closes down at night, will be an experience of a lifetime. If you so choose, from Heathrow Airport, take the A4 to Piccadilly Circus and you will find Soho just to the north. The infamous Kew Gardens and Wembley Stadium are only a few minutes away.
Hailing a taxi or minicab is also a great deal of fun when touring London, especially considering the abundant nightlife. And doing so from Soho allows visitors an opportunity to view the Hippodrome, pass through Trafalgar Square and catch a glance at Big Ben on the way to Central London. It is here that one can truly experience an eclectic club scene. Clubs such as Africa Centre, know for its African décor and music, as well as the Gardening Club and the Rock Garden, both of which feature a wide variety of techno and dance music on a nightly basis are deserving of a visit.
<<>>
This, the old part of London, is where many tourists spend the bulk of their time, frequenting historical landmarks, shopping centres and other mundane attractions. To their misfortune, few of them truly experience the atmosphere of the clubs, not to mention the wide array of libations afforded by the growing immigrant population. It is here, in the intellectual heart of London, clubs such as The Astoria, Heaven and Fabric cater to an increasingly visible gay population. The great majority of these clubs, known for their dance and techno beat, are located in the vicinity of St. Villiers, Charring Cross and Covent Garden.
Diehard rock n’ rollers may be more inclined to frequent the East End. It is here that both Mods and Rockers come to soothe the savage beast. Once the stomping grounds of Jack the Ripper, the infamous East End now plays host to a wide variety of alternative, Goth, grunge and hard rock bands. Musicians such as Mick Jagger, Ike Turner and a host of other musical celebrities saunter about clubs such as the Rhythm Factory, the Red Eye, The Approach, Underground and 291. Most of these clubs are relatively close to one another, allowing “clubbers” to walk from one establishment to another.
As the sun sets over the British Empire, London in particular, clubs from Soho to Central London and Whitechapel fill with revellers. The old saying is that, at night London comes alive while the rest of England sleeps. Typically, the sweet smell of hashish, marijuana and other soft drugs fill the night air. There are other, harder drugs available, if one so chooses to seek them out.
Most clubs charge a cover fee, if not to cover the expense of hiring a band or disc jockey, merely to ensure that they are attracting clientele appropriate for their establishment. Some require membership, often times sponsored by a member in good standing. While the entry fee or cover fee is usually nominal, it typically helps to thwart the goals of the Metropolitan Police.
Whether someone prefers the avant garde and jazz clubs of Soho, the eclectic mix of gay and straight clubs in Central London or the goth and rock scene found on the East End, it is possible to find virtually any soft or hard drug. Locals tend to have steady suppliers and, more often than not, are willing to “assist” a visitor.
In the past, the Metropolitan Police, Scotland Yard and Parliament have all neglected to take a firm stance with regards to drug users, but that is about to change. That is, if Prime Minister Tony Blair has his way. Last fall, he introduced a crime and justice bill aimed at reducing not only London’s, but also all of Britain’s drug related crime by twenty five percent in 2005 and fifty percent in 2008. So far, civil rights activists have held up the legislation.
In and around London, there is proper English and then there is the thick Cockney accent of the East Side. For example, cocaine is referred to as Charlie, lip or blow. What is commonly called marijuana elsewhere is draw, weed, skunk, and ganja in Cockney and puff in other parts of the city. Crack cocaine is known simply as Rock n’ Roll. On the other hand, heroin goes by the names scag, skag or junk. Other hard drugs, such as L.S.D., mescaline and a variety of designer drugs are known as strop among the Cockney populace, but everybody else just calls them chemicals. And last but not least, hash is simply called hash.