That drink you had abroad on vacation? It may have had 'real drugs' in it

2024.07.04. The Fair Economy — The National Intelligence Service (NIS) said on the 4th that with the summer vacation season underway, Korean nationals visiting countries where marijuana is legal or where so-called "drug candy" is rampant could unknowingly become entangled in drug crimes, and urged them to exercise caution.

According to the National Intelligence Service, in some U.S. states and in Canada and Thailand, cannabis-infused cookies and beverages, as well as menus that pair pork belly with cannabis— a dish popular among South Koreans— are easily accessible through restaurants and convenience stores.

In Thailand, non-alcoholic soju containing cannabis is sold, but the label reading "contains cannabis ingredients" is written only in Thai, making it easy to mistake for ordinary soju. Cannabis-infused drinks are also displayed alongside ordinary beverages popular with young children, so Korean travelers with children should be especially careful.

Since the fact that a product contains cannabis is often written only in the local language, travelers should check for the leaf symbol that signifies cannabis and English terms such as "cannabis," "marijuana" or "weed" when buying food or drinks.

In Canada, "magic mushrooms," which are classified as narcotics in Korea, are sold commercially, and in some Southeast Asian countries, various illegal hallucinogenic substances such as "drug candy" are circulated, mainly through clubs and other entertainment venues.

Travelers should also stay alert to so-called "setup crimes," in which foreign tourists are made to take or consume drugs and are then targeted for secondary crimes such as kidnapping or confinement, or extorted for money under the threat of reporting them to the authorities.

A National Intelligence Service official urged that travelers always be cautious about consuming food and drinks containing drug ingredients while abroad, citing cases such as one where a person who ate a jelly received as a souvenir in Thailand early this year experienced pain, visited a hospital, and tested positive for cannabis.

The National Intelligence Service plans to display posters warning about exposure to drug crimes at Incheon International Airport departure halls and other locations, and to produce card news for posting on its website and social media.