Lonely Planet™ · Thorn Tree Forum · 2020 |

# Marijuana in Samoa Country forums / Pacific Islands & Papua New Guinea / Samoa
penelopeglamour 15:11 UTC 03 Aug 2007 | Hi there, we're going to Samoa (Upolu) and we usually enjoy smoking a joint when on holidays. What's the story in Samoa? Is it easy to find? What about the police and legal system? What should we be careful with? Any relevant tips welcome. Thanks very much for any help. Cheers. |
mange 12:56 UTC 04 Aug 2007 | Stick to Kava. It's legal. It's cultural. And who needs marijuana when you have heavenly sunsets from your fale on a Polynesian lagoon? Samoan police mean business. They are the biggest cops south of Tonga, and I don't fancy they like the idea of a Palagi breaking THEIR law. Vailima Beer is damm good too. Manuia lava! Get high on the beautiful country!Text | 1
ktthorn 03:00 UTC 07 Aug 2007 | I totally agree with Mange.. STay away from breaking any laws in Samoa. You would live to regret it. It is not worth it. The beauty of the island.. the things you will see.. people you meet will bless you enough. What you find once you get there.. will answer your questions. Still.. with that being said... I wouldn't take a chance. Kava.. is legal.. and does the same... thing. | 2
copperspoon 10:50 UTC 07 Aug 2007 | "Kava.. is legal.. and does the same... thing." Leaving aside the question of legality Kava and Marijuana are in no was similar-that is nonsense. | 3
teine 01:54 UTC 08 Aug 2007 | Just to add to this, the police keep a good eye out for this kind of thing and if you are nabbed you may well end up in jail. | 4
anonymous 05:06 UTC 14 Aug 2007 | The police did not seem too active at all when i was there. I didnt smoke weed though. | 5
wksamoa 17:30 UTC 14 Aug 2007 | <blockquote>Quote <hr>The police did not seem too active at all when i was there. I didnt smoke weed though. <hr></blockquote> Good for you. Because you should not be that sure about police activity - at least 80% of the drug squad is wearing plain, often quite shabby clothes, not uniform. | 6
pacificguy 05:53 UTC 18 Aug 2007 | I agree with the others: it's around but probably not worth the risk. I know of a Swiss man who went to visit friends in Samoa, bought one joint from an undercover cop in a nightclub, and ended up stuck there literally for years. His passport was confiscated and his trial kept getting postponed. His return air ticket expired, he was not allowed to work to earn money and he ended up living hand-to-mouth on odd jobs. His case finally came to court and he was simply fined 100 tala. In the end he got some financial aid from the Swiss embassy in NZ to get a ticket home. Of course, there are worse places to be stuck, but the enforcement against drugs has been become much stricter since that Swiss chap's day. | 7
lagerwolf 14:22 UTC 07 Nov 2007 | easy to get at the market in apia. just ask any likely looking people. not hard to spot, and doesn't seem to be too much of a big deal as long as you're reasonably discreet. | 8
peterheins 18:23 UTC 16 Sep 2008 | Hai..i think any where i mean in samoa cops will have keen sight in visitors it is better not to get in the eye of policemen in new area. ================================== peterheins http://www.marijuanaaddictiontreatment.com | 9
wksamoa 20:31 UTC 16 Sep 2008 | In Samoa weed grows, well, like weed. I check my garden regularly that there isn't any cannabis plant. Because it is so easy to grow the authorities have to keep heavy pressure that people do not do it and do not use it. Some kind of reluctance that is common in other countries, like tolerating small amounts, would lead to a situation here that half of the car drivers are stoned. Something like that. And that heavy hand strictly refers to tourists too. Yes, one might have a fair chance not to get caught. But - if you get caught you do not face 100 Tala fine anymore (like that Swiss man that #7 mentioned). You face at least 4 to 6 months in jail for a single joint ... And no embassy or whatever from your country can help you. There are no compromises like quick deportation or a fine instead anymore. You would have to face the music and that is sleeping on the floor in a hall with about 100 fellow inmates. Hard labor on the plantation and some cooked bananas with coconut cream as your daily food. On Sunday with a small piece of fatty lamb meat as a 'treat'. And a single word of protest or disobedience gets you some special advice from the guards (words plus beating for memory improvement). Of course - you will certainly survive that. No problem. But is it worth that risk - for one joint already? | 10