Smoking Pot in Korea

As the presenter mentioned, marijuana is actually much less hazardous to the body than cigarettes or strong liquor and personally, I find the attitude that "if it is illegal, it should be illegal" completely senseless and self-defeating- which seems to be the case here. I, for one, believe mature adults should have the right to put whatever they want into their bodies- and to pay the consequences, in a way it’s quite same as euthanasia.

However, I do not trumpet this opinion in Korea, nor do I lecture my friends here. If asked, I simply explain the difference between cultures and what is considered acceptable, despite its questionable legality.

In my opinion, between the risks and penalties and the way Koreans think about drug use, combined with the way drug use is so often associated with foreigners, it just isn't worth it to use drugs while you're in Korea. Don't do it, don't look for it, just stay out of that mess. I've actually met people who came to Korea to successfully clean up, and get off the ganja, and they succeeded. Korea's good for that. Korea's not a good place to get high, unless your drug preference is either alcohol, or really spicy food. Pot is a big problem here, and if someone resents that marijuana is legally or practically decriminalized in most parts of Europe and especially in the Netherlands, but it's still very illegal here, then it’s better to smoke it when you go to places like Glasgow, Liverpool, Amsterdam, or Berlin.

I respect the laws of Korea as an exchange student. I would expect the same of Koreans living in other countries.