Memories of Weed in Vietnam

Smokin Moose

Fallen Cannabis Warrior & Ex Moderator
It was summer 1971, the Vietnam war was still raging. We lived in a small town south of San Jose Calif. Most of us had already served our time or were just returning from SE Asia. The Hippie culture was still going strong but not the same as when it first started. Weed was easy to get, lots of good quality Mexican and a few exotic strains could be found. Thai stick and all kinds of hash were available. Acapulco Gold, and the great Mexican Sativas were easy to get. Seems strange now but there wasn't a lot of Vietnamese weed around. You would think with all the guys returning there would have been lots...but that wasn't the case. Not a lot of people were lucky enough to get to smoke some of this great weed. Its some of the most powerful weed that I ever smoked. This is not a weed you sat around and smoked all day. In fact just having some to smoke was a miracle.

I'll never forget the first Vietnamese weed I ever smoked. It's everything you've ever heard and more. I was just lucky and a friend gave me a little. I've been smoking since 1966 and there's only a few strains that stand out as the absolute best. The Vietnamese, some African and some greenhouse out of Arizona about 1971 also (man that's another story ). Paranoia was one of the effects of the Vietnamese LOL. You were so stoned you would be paranoid about it...everyone sees you and knows you're stoned as hell. If they look at you they know LOL. It was an overpowering high. I was sitting at home on a nice summer morning and I see a buddy that I hadn't seen for about a year walk to the porch and knock on the door. He was home on leave from Vietnam for 30 days and then was going to Thailand for a year. He said he only had a few moments but he wanted to come by to say hi and give me something. Well he hands me 3 rolled joints, not real big - more on the smaller size, he said he brought it back for me from the Nam. We talked a few minutes and he hit the road. I'd see him again and party with him before he went back. It was a trip seeing him out of the blue like that, I had dropped him off at the airport when he went over, he had hitched a ride on a military transport. He was in the army but it was pretty common then to hitch a ride...didn't cost anything and you could wait until the last minute to get to your station and blame any lateness on the Air Force LOL.

After he left I decided to go pick up a couple of friends and take a nice drive out around the dams and smoke one these babies. I picked up two of my brothers-in-law and another friend. Always nice and mellow out around the dams, a good place to get high...no cops. We stopped and picked up a couple of 6 packs and we were on our way. I didn't tell them what kind of weed I had, but after we had a couple of beers and were cruising along I whip a joint out. Everyone says 'all right! "LT" way to go!' Two guys were very experienced smokers and one was a beginner. Well I fire that baby up take a big hit and pass it. The joint makes it back to me, and again a big hit and pass it. One more time and I notice one guy passes it, next time around no one wants to smoke anymore. I still had a decent roach so I put it in the ashtray. Its quiet as hell and no one is speaking. These guys were ripped (so was I). I could see my two buddies in the back seat through the rear view mirror. The guy next to me is really stoned. I figured it was time to liven things up a bit. As I'm driving down the road I get a really devious thought. Should I or shouldn't I? Well.........I did.

I'm doing around 20 miles an hour and look into the rear view mirror and say "oh shit there's a cop on our ass, don't turn around and look maybe he will just pass and go on", their eyes got about as big as silver dollars. Now my three friends are freaking out, they are so paranoid it's unreal. I can see it in their faces. I'm trying my hardest not to laugh. The two guys in the back seat are getting lower and lower in the seat, I guess they thought they could hide or disappear that way LOL. I drive about a mile down the road and then........ its time for the "Coup De Grace", I say "damn he put the lights on us". Up ahead is a pullover so I start to slow down and pull into the spot when all of a sudden I say "fuck him, he will never take us alive" and peel out back onto the road, floor it and haul ass. By the looks on their faces they were terrified LOL. By this time I have tears rolling down my face because I'm trying not to laugh out loud. It was the most hilarious sight from my view LOL. Finally some one turns around and looks......no cops....no nobody just us. The profanities started coming.....man were they pissed at me LOL. Its a wonder they didn't drag me out of the car and beat the hell out of me...I wouldn't have blamed them LOL.

The guy who was the beginner smoker never did really turn into a smoker like the rest of us already were. I think the Vietnamese weed scared him so bad he was afraid of any weed afterwards, man that is not a weed for beginners LOL. After everyone was done being pissed at me we all laughed our asses off for the rest of the day. By that evening everyone we knew had heard about it and were laughing their asses off also. Of course I got my paybacks in due time. We were all practical jokers and loved to mess with each other. I knew I'd never get away with it without something being done to me sooner or later LOL...just the way it worked. And again that's another story. The 60s and early 70s were a smoker's paradise. The selection of fine weed was astounding. Ah.....the good old days.
By Pistolero
 
Re: Memories of Weed in Vietnam.

What a great story! He did a great job setting the scene for us! LMAO! Thanks for sharing, Moose!
 
Re: Memories of Weed in Vietnam.

Great story MM, I remember my first day in country. I was told to report to my new sarge in our hooch. As I walked up to his door and knocked he says comeon in.I opened the door and here's my new sarge sitting on the end of his bunk with an M60 ammo can in front of him, he was filling up a hollowed out hav-a-tampa cigar with pot! I new right away I was going to like this place.!!We used to get a lb. of weed for a carton of either Pell Mells or Kools.!!same price for a gram of pure ******. Hated to leave that place..
 
Re: Memories of Weed in Vietnam.

I was a little young for nam .But a good friend did 2 tours one in dakto
he said they would buy a couple lbs and take a big screen and throw
away what went through the screen and smoke the rest.

He said they would buy ivory pipes and when they turned dark from resin
get another. After talking to him for years i respect all who went and am
happy i was to young.
 
Re: Memories of Weed in Vietnam.

awesome story! haha my friends and I fuck with each other hard too. that was great. "fuck him he'll never take us alive" HAHA!
 
I was one of the lucky ones. I got my draft card in 73 when we were pulling out and as luck would have it I was 1 H.
However, The almost black weed that came over from friends in country was the most potent weed I've ever smoked even to this day. Hands down, if you could trip on THC , that was the shit that would do it.
I'd sure give a lot to have even one bud now.
Also, if we're going back there we can't forget the Opium. OH MY!

GREAT story MM. It's nice when a good old memory gets stirred back up. Thanks!
 
You know its an old story when the person just casually talks about drinking and driving and how fun it was. I have some "Vietnam Skunk" seeds. I don't know of their authenticity but it was some killer Sativa with a trippy energy rush a long red eye stone. the buds were not skunky but Sweet fruit Haze. I love the paranoia part. I cringe when some one flips "I need a cigarette" they kill they buzz and I just enjoy the ride. I've also grown a clone of pheno Fen or Phen its Cambodian X Thai (I think lowland Thai) anyway a great strain a bit branchy but packs on solid buds well worth growing.
 
Funny story. That, to me, is what it's all about.

here is something from that era you may or may not have seen before

YouTube - ‪Vietnam-Drugs (Marijuana)‬‏

Like he said at the end. Fuck this war. didn't have to go, damn glad. My buddies did.
Part of me went with, & still hasn't been found.

HOOODAMN! That was some powerful weed. I've been smoking a lot of years, & STILL haven't found anything that gets me that high. Only got a little, but the bag I had was almost black, & STICKY.
 
Just to help with tracing the genetics. Although famous Vietnam Black is very hard to find in a pure form on a commercial seed market, there are two seed banks, which offer hybrids made by pollinating Vietnam Black mother with some other stuff. One of these strains is Willie Nelson (Vietnam Black x Nepalese Highland), which is pure sativa and has got some great review from Doc Bud on his thread.

Another one is Orient Express (Vietnam Black x China Yunnan), which produces very nice old school buzz, kind of sativa fuzzy and warm feeling, but without excessive raciness that has been smoothed out by indica father. But still you can feel south Asian genes here a lot, especially after bigger bowl. I'm just drying my outdoor plant actually, so I can show u some pics.

The plant
oe25.jpg

oe37.jpg


The budz
oe72.jpg
0071390.jpg


Hope that helps :Namaste:
 
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