Marijuana use rises in Iran, with little interference
Marijuana is mentioned only vaguely in the Islamic penal code, and the police pay it little heed
Saturday, June 25, 2016
Iran is notorious for its harsh code of conduct enforced by an extensive intelligence apparatus, and it has waged a long and painful war on heroin and opium trafficking, with security forces dying by the thousands over the past two decades in fights with Afghan cartels. But the same government that executes hundreds of drug dealers every year — and cracks down periodically on alcohol, which is also illegal — seems curiously oblivious to the growing popularity of marijuana. (See also: Could Iran be the next country to legalise cannabis and opium?)