The Lowdown on Drugs in Berlin

Drugs are anything but off-limits in Berlin, but don’t be sloppy in taking them and keep it somewhat discreet – you never know who’s watching, undercover cops or raids are seldom but not unheard of.

Purchasing should ideally happen at the advice of someone you can trust. Whether it’s weed or coke or psychedelics, I’d recommend you retrieve a contact prior through people that are better attuned to the local scene than yourself, instead of buying off of random street or in-house dealers, if even just for quality’s sake. Not normal per se, but there have been one too many stories of club staff behaving somewhat irresponsibly when they notice – or fail to notice – someone who’s gone a bit overboard, eerily often in relation to G.

As more and more party goers are resorting to G – also known simply as GHB or Liquid Ecstasy – to fuel their nights, I want to make mention of how very small the trench is between fun highs and even fatal overdoses. The drug has increased in popularity times five in the past five years, and is actually a chemical solvent to remove paint with, most commonly consumed in drops, directly or in beverages. It enhances hornyness, euphoria and energy if used in “safe” amounts. Very quickly and very easily can this tip however, and lead to severe nausea, vomiting, unconsciousness, blackouts, memory loss and even heart failure. Before spiking in clubs, G was best and is still known to be a roofie, a date-rape-drug, more so than a recreational one. That being said, be at your most cautious when buying or using G, and don’t accept drinks from strangers or leave yours unsupervised.

So, in general, be careful, be mindful and let loose to tolerable amounts without being excessive or reckless, and – if you can – have someone have an eye on you and vice versa, but don’t ever hesitate to seek help from a bartender or whomever else if something goes or someone does you wrong.