Cannabis rules again among young addicts in Vietnam capital

As ecstasy supplies run dry in Vietnam?s capital Hanoi after a series of massive drug hauls in recent months, local young addicts are turning to an old standby drug, marijuana.

The two most obtainable forms of marijuana in the capital city now are known by their street names: "Canadian grass", which is smuggled from Canada, and "Tai Ma", meaning Great Hemp.
Marijuana is deemed almost as cool as ecstasy, but is cheaper, according to local youth.

Canadian grass party .

Canadian grass is genuine stuff, even wealthy youths in Hanoi can hardly buy it, says H., a young boy who is the captain of a group of six youths.
H. has a sister living in Canada, who at times smuggles marijuana into Vietnam for her brother to smoke.
The six of them often have Canadian grass parties at H's house.

We can smoke as much as we want since traces of marijuana cannot be detected by urine tests, the young boy says.

Canada grass is the best marijuana in the world.

Group member Hai says that after smoking Canadian grass, it takes him four to five hours to get home although he lives just two kilometers away by motorbike.

When I'm driving, I feel like I'm walking on clouds. The streets are noisy, but I can't even hear the sound of my bike's horn, Hai says.
Tuan, another group member, says whenever smoking grass, he cannot wait to listen to music.

After smoking, I don't want to do anything other but lie down, listen to music and talk, Tuan mouths and suddenly bursts into tears.

Flying with Great Hemp
Buying Great Hemp is now more difficult than even heroin, while prices are quite high, according to locals.
An addict says after recent massive ecstasy bursts, drug dealers have become extremely vigilant.
Late at night in a small room at a karaoke bar, six young guys gather, calling themselves the aircrew, ready to fly with Great Hemp and loud music.
The first one starts smoking, and after finishing just half the cigarette, suddenly begins laughing almost hysterically.
After about three minutes, the boy stops laughing and yells .

Give me a drink.

You should not curb Great Hemp with water; the more you drink, the more you feel thirsty, Tung, a 14-year-old boy, says.

Then the aircrew, who are all Tung's age, joins the flight.

By midnight when the flight lands, the aircrew looks ragged and staggers around the room crying and laughing.

Hard-to-get market
Marijuana fever has been smoldering the capital city for the last two years before the recent rise of ecstasy.
The most infamous marijuana market use to be a small street in downtown Hanoi and buying the drug was very easy, according to addicts.
There, drug addicts could smoke marijuana phlegmatically right in the street with little chance of being arrested.

At that time, a gram of Canadian grass cost 800,000 to 1,200,000 VND, or 50 to 75 USD.
But now, marijuana sales are more discreet and selling points have moved to more secret areas in small interlacing alleys around the city.

After massive drug busts in the last month and a half, marijuana has been selling like hotcakes.
But drug dealers only sell marijuana to regular customers, and contact is often made via mobile phones, a young addict says.
A Canadian grass joint now costs 100,000 VND, or 6.3 USD.

Reported by Xuan Thanh .

http://www.thanhniennews.com/features/?catid=10&newsid=7825

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