I thought I'd share my experience. I was in Japan recently and I'm a daily weed smoker. This was not ideal. About 4 or 5 days in, I was visiting a love hotel and the room stunk of weed. It was the first time I had smelt it since being in Japan and was surprised. This was in Osaka, which is a bit more wild and less strict than Tokyo for example. People will cross the road without waiting for the green man, which I never saw in Tokyo(very rebellious, I know haha).
So I knew weed was around but didn't know how to get it. Now and then I would see a real shady looking gangsta and be tempted to ask, but I couldn't build the courage.
Well my friend I was traveling with, while on shopping adventures saw a weed sign at a shop. When she came back to the hotel she informs me that there is a weed store but it she's not sure if it's CBD or what but smelt weed smoke. I quickly catch a taxi right to it to check it out.
Turns out Japan has loose analogue laws, and they are selling thc-h and I believe thc-ch? Or hc? I can't remember completely but am 99% sure what I bought were thc-h products.
A cool young African American was the front man of the store and was easy to talk to, there were slightly older Japanese guys hovering around that gave off hipster harmless fake gangsta vibes who clearly ran/owned it.
I asked him what the deal was and if this shit gets me high. He assures me 'dude, this gets you high' with a very stern look. A tourist, young American girl with a fresh tattoo - the only other non employee in there and almost looking like a sales plant, turns around at that moment while taking a big dab bit in a bong says, while trying to hold in their hit 'yeah it's good dude, this is my third session this stuff hits'. I didn't even notice her until she chimed in haha.
Anyway, I'm convinced. I buy around $1000 worth before even taking a hit. They only accept cash too. Maybe a silly move but I figured options are limited, I'm on holiday for another 2 weeks and these two people are either the best stoner actors ever and full of shit or I'm getting myself a bag of goodies.
I ask where can I smoke this? They direct me to the store across the road. Sister store, bigger and with a smoking balcony. Same branding and owned by same people. Not gonna lie, things got a little weird here.
The guy at the first store maybe gave a heads up to the second store of my custom and arrival. Not weird for Japan, they are very good at team work and passing information along. But weird when it's drugs.
They were expecting me. And I'm the only one in the store, this huge store with like 5 very friendly gangsta and fashionable gangsta dudes and a chick. I think they were trying to look really hip to maybe take away the gangsta and make you feel more at ease but you could still see it. They were so happy to see me and very welcoming. But also, all kept their eyes on me at all times. Like you could see all their heads swivel as I walked across the room. Weird vibes. They show me the private weed only smoking balcony, with warning signs that it's illegal to smoke tobacco on it. Only their products were allowed. There is a small bonzai that has weed shaped leaves which I've never seen and was very cool, some fake grass, couple of seats and a nice view of a small square lots of people sit around and hang out.
The guy kinda stands awkwardly by the door for a few moments longer than he probably should have, and then realised on yeah people like to smoke weed without someone intensely staring at them a few feet away.. Haha. He shuffles away apologetically. Oh Japan.. Love you.
I light up with one of their branded lighters. Same lighters you get at love hotels. I collected lots of these in my travels. Better then a bic! It's a pre rolled joint. Cost? 25-30$. I bought 20. I wish I bought more. It taste like weed. Smoked like weed. And after 2 hits I could feel it. I got half way through the joint and didn't actually know if I could finish it.
It's hitting me. That 'over think everything and panic that I'm in way over my head'. Fuck I'm smoking weed in Japan and Im high as FUCK. I havnt been this high in many years. Reminds me of teenage smoking days. Where's my phone? Where's my wallet? Fuck did I really just spend that much on weed? Can I even smoke all this? Fuck they won't buy it back will they? Na man just give it to people. No, that's probably punishable by death! Dude how are you getting back to the hotel. And you've gotta get through all those crowds down there?
So I'm kinda freaking out on this balcony. I collect myself. Tell myself na it's OK, unless all these guys are breaking the law too then I'm sweet. And no one even knows what weed is in Japan so they'll(the public) at worst think I'm drunk or just a stupid weird foreigner. I've got intense dry mouth. Didn't bring a drink, damn.
At this point I'm over my mild panic attack but still startled. Not ready for interactions. I know there's a bunch of dudes in the shop who I have to get past.. I slowly open the door and it's like.. As if the 'star of the show' effect given earlier wasn't weird enough, it's very unsettling when this high. One thing I noticed earlier, but was super apparent at this point is all these guys are stone cold sober. I would be surprised if they had ever smoked in their lives. Gave off those real strait vibes.
I ask them if there's anything to drink, and they say they have water. I give out a solid disappointed stoner 'oh man you guys gotta get mountain dew or something' and tell them the product is indeed fucking legit, that I'm very surprised and I smoke shit tonnes of weed back home, high quality medical grade and this has me just as high if not more high. They were SO unbelievably happy to hear this which I found kinda funny but also, Japan.. People take a lot of pride in their work - even getting people high.
I say goodbye and awkwardly can't find the way out and they have to help me because I'm too damn high to even know where I came in. We say goodbye again haha. Time by the way, unlike any normal weed I've smoked got quite distorted. I realise as I go to find a taxi that I left my bag in the first store. I run back and come in and they've just realised themselves that there's a mystery bag. I am walking out and thought how the fuck did they not notice that for so long? But then see the time, it's been maybe 15min at most since I purchased the stuff. It felt like much longer than that. An hour maybe. I thought I had been on just the balcony at least half an hour.
The guy in the first store asks before I left what I think. I can barely look at him in the eyes. I'm so incredibly high it's almost overwhelming. Explain dude you weren't joking. This is potent as fuck. He laughs and I am back into the streets of chaos.
After about 30-45min it was much more like a regular weed high. That was consistent over the next few weeks. Very intense, and then medium for few hours. I bought a bunch of vape pens too, one of each 'strain'. Unlike the joints where sativa or indica, and which had huge differences, the vapes all just got me.. High. No difference but tasted different. But at that point I had smoked all the joints and was hammering the vapes as much as my throat would let me(which wasn't much).
Whats weird is I think I preferred thc-h. The high, besides that initial 'overdose' on the first joint felt cleaner and less groggy. I didn't feel as useless or lazy or weighed down. And I enjoyed the rush part. Like it wasn't just one buzz, but two very different experiences from each session.
Anyway. I proceeded to smoke this all over Japan. I had a great time. Only once did someone notice. Some cool looking young punk Japanese dude and his gf. He smelt it, sitting on some big steps by the water, gestured to me the joint in mouth sign and a thumbs up saying 'cool' and smiling haha. He kinda looked stoned himself. The store gave me a card to give police if I ever got stopped. They reckoned that I didn't need to worry... I still didn't smoke near police and followed my usual public space smoking protocol - do it near flowing water(river, drains etc) so you can drop it and watch it float away in worst case situation(and also don't carry more than the one joint you are smoking, leave the rest elsewhere).
If I did it again I'd just go for all joints. I had never tried vape pens and bought 3(i think 150-200 each?). Very hard on the throat, which I googled and doesn't seem to be a specific thc-h thing but that many spliff smokers like myself struggle. The products were pricey but I think most normal users would find 2-3 joints a day more then enough. I did and I smoke lots of weed.
So I knew weed was around but didn't know how to get it. Now and then I would see a real shady looking gangsta and be tempted to ask, but I couldn't build the courage.
Well my friend I was traveling with, while on shopping adventures saw a weed sign at a shop. When she came back to the hotel she informs me that there is a weed store but it she's not sure if it's CBD or what but smelt weed smoke. I quickly catch a taxi right to it to check it out.
Turns out Japan has loose analogue laws, and they are selling thc-h and I believe thc-ch? Or hc? I can't remember completely but am 99% sure what I bought were thc-h products.
A cool young African American was the front man of the store and was easy to talk to, there were slightly older Japanese guys hovering around that gave off hipster harmless fake gangsta vibes who clearly ran/owned it.
I asked him what the deal was and if this shit gets me high. He assures me 'dude, this gets you high' with a very stern look. A tourist, young American girl with a fresh tattoo - the only other non employee in there and almost looking like a sales plant, turns around at that moment while taking a big dab bit in a bong says, while trying to hold in their hit 'yeah it's good dude, this is my third session this stuff hits'. I didn't even notice her until she chimed in haha.
Anyway, I'm convinced. I buy around $1000 worth before even taking a hit. They only accept cash too. Maybe a silly move but I figured options are limited, I'm on holiday for another 2 weeks and these two people are either the best stoner actors ever and full of shit or I'm getting myself a bag of goodies.
I ask where can I smoke this? They direct me to the store across the road. Sister store, bigger and with a smoking balcony. Same branding and owned by same people. Not gonna lie, things got a little weird here.
The guy at the first store maybe gave a heads up to the second store of my custom and arrival. Not weird for Japan, they are very good at team work and passing information along. But weird when it's drugs.
They were expecting me. And I'm the only one in the store, this huge store with like 5 very friendly gangsta and fashionable gangsta dudes and a chick. I think they were trying to look really hip to maybe take away the gangsta and make you feel more at ease but you could still see it. They were so happy to see me and very welcoming. But also, all kept their eyes on me at all times. Like you could see all their heads swivel as I walked across the room. Weird vibes. They show me the private weed only smoking balcony, with warning signs that it's illegal to smoke tobacco on it. Only their products were allowed. There is a small bonzai that has weed shaped leaves which I've never seen and was very cool, some fake grass, couple of seats and a nice view of a small square lots of people sit around and hang out.
The guy kinda stands awkwardly by the door for a few moments longer than he probably should have, and then realised on yeah people like to smoke weed without someone intensely staring at them a few feet away.. Haha. He shuffles away apologetically. Oh Japan.. Love you.
I light up with one of their branded lighters. Same lighters you get at love hotels. I collected lots of these in my travels. Better then a bic! It's a pre rolled joint. Cost? 25-30$. I bought 20. I wish I bought more. It taste like weed. Smoked like weed. And after 2 hits I could feel it. I got half way through the joint and didn't actually know if I could finish it.
It's hitting me. That 'over think everything and panic that I'm in way over my head'. Fuck I'm smoking weed in Japan and Im high as FUCK. I havnt been this high in many years. Reminds me of teenage smoking days. Where's my phone? Where's my wallet? Fuck did I really just spend that much on weed? Can I even smoke all this? Fuck they won't buy it back will they? Na man just give it to people. No, that's probably punishable by death! Dude how are you getting back to the hotel. And you've gotta get through all those crowds down there?
So I'm kinda freaking out on this balcony. I collect myself. Tell myself na it's OK, unless all these guys are breaking the law too then I'm sweet. And no one even knows what weed is in Japan so they'll(the public) at worst think I'm drunk or just a stupid weird foreigner. I've got intense dry mouth. Didn't bring a drink, damn.
At this point I'm over my mild panic attack but still startled. Not ready for interactions. I know there's a bunch of dudes in the shop who I have to get past.. I slowly open the door and it's like.. As if the 'star of the show' effect given earlier wasn't weird enough, it's very unsettling when this high. One thing I noticed earlier, but was super apparent at this point is all these guys are stone cold sober. I would be surprised if they had ever smoked in their lives. Gave off those real strait vibes.
I ask them if there's anything to drink, and they say they have water. I give out a solid disappointed stoner 'oh man you guys gotta get mountain dew or something' and tell them the product is indeed fucking legit, that I'm very surprised and I smoke shit tonnes of weed back home, high quality medical grade and this has me just as high if not more high. They were SO unbelievably happy to hear this which I found kinda funny but also, Japan.. People take a lot of pride in their work - even getting people high.
I say goodbye and awkwardly can't find the way out and they have to help me because I'm too damn high to even know where I came in. We say goodbye again haha. Time by the way, unlike any normal weed I've smoked got quite distorted. I realise as I go to find a taxi that I left my bag in the first store. I run back and come in and they've just realised themselves that there's a mystery bag. I am walking out and thought how the fuck did they not notice that for so long? But then see the time, it's been maybe 15min at most since I purchased the stuff. It felt like much longer than that. An hour maybe. I thought I had been on just the balcony at least half an hour.
The guy in the first store asks before I left what I think. I can barely look at him in the eyes. I'm so incredibly high it's almost overwhelming. Explain dude you weren't joking. This is potent as fuck. He laughs and I am back into the streets of chaos.
After about 30-45min it was much more like a regular weed high. That was consistent over the next few weeks. Very intense, and then medium for few hours. I bought a bunch of vape pens too, one of each 'strain'. Unlike the joints where sativa or indica, and which had huge differences, the vapes all just got me.. High. No difference but tasted different. But at that point I had smoked all the joints and was hammering the vapes as much as my throat would let me(which wasn't much).
Whats weird is I think I preferred thc-h. The high, besides that initial 'overdose' on the first joint felt cleaner and less groggy. I didn't feel as useless or lazy or weighed down. And I enjoyed the rush part. Like it wasn't just one buzz, but two very different experiences from each session.
Anyway. I proceeded to smoke this all over Japan. I had a great time. Only once did someone notice. Some cool looking young punk Japanese dude and his gf. He smelt it, sitting on some big steps by the water, gestured to me the joint in mouth sign and a thumbs up saying 'cool' and smiling haha. He kinda looked stoned himself. The store gave me a card to give police if I ever got stopped. They reckoned that I didn't need to worry... I still didn't smoke near police and followed my usual public space smoking protocol - do it near flowing water(river, drains etc) so you can drop it and watch it float away in worst case situation(and also don't carry more than the one joint you are smoking, leave the rest elsewhere).
If I did it again I'd just go for all joints. I had never tried vape pens and bought 3(i think 150-200 each?). Very hard on the throat, which I googled and doesn't seem to be a specific thc-h thing but that many spliff smokers like myself struggle. The products were pricey but I think most normal users would find 2-3 joints a day more then enough. I did and I smoke lots of weed.
