Turkish town of 25,000 gets involuntary high from 20-ton cannabis burn

When authorities burned 20 tons of confiscated cannabis in the eastern Turkish town of Lice on April 18 as the resulting smoke cloud effectively gave the entire population of 25,000 an unintended high, causing widespread health issues and outrage among residents.

The massive drug disposal operation, conducted on April 18 by the Lice District Gendarmerie Command, sent thick smoke billowing across the town for days, leaving residents experiencing symptoms of intoxication including dizziness, nausea, and hallucinations.

Massive flames and thick dark smoke rising from burning cannabis piles near residential buildings, with houses clearly visible in the background as the smoke drifts toward a populated area — Dense cannabis smoke billows over residential buildings as authorities burn 20 tons of confiscated cannabis in Lice, Diyarbakir on April 18, 2024. (Photo via Haber1)

“Just as tobacco smoke harms passive smokers in enclosed spaces, the smoke from burning these narcotics can cause serious discomfort, intoxication, dizziness, nausea, and hallucinations,” said President of the Green Star Association, which aims to combat addictions, Yahya Oger to a local newspaper.

Five days after the operation, residents continue to struggle with the effects. “We’ve been unable to open our windows for days because of the drug smell,” said one resident who wished to remain anonymous. “Our children have gotten sick, and we’re constantly going back and forth to the hospital. We face this problem every year.”

$260m worth of cannabis destroyed by authorities

The destroyed cannabis, valued at 10 billion Turkish Lira ($261,433,808,) was seized during 226 anti-narcotics operations conducted throughout 2024. Authorities used 200 liters of diesel fuel to burn the drugs in what critics are calling an unprofessional disposal method.

Gendarmerie officer in blue beret and uniform using a torch to ignite bags of cannabis, with thick black smoke and flames already engulfing piles of drug-filled sacks in an open field near residential areas — A Turkish gendarmerie officer ignites bags of confiscated cannabis during the mass disposal operation in Lice, Diyarbakir on April 18, 2024. (Photo via Tele1)

Adding insult to injury, officials arranged the drug packages to spell out “Lice” before setting them ablaze—a display that Oger called “unacceptable” and “lacking professionalism.”

“While the operations conducted by Diyarbakir-based security forces are commendable and strike a significant blow to production and street dealers, burning cannabis in the city center is unprofessional,” Oger said.

The Green Star Association recommends that authorities dispose of narcotics in factories with filtered chimneys or areas far from population centers. Oger’s organization has offered to provide educational programs about drug awareness for law enforcement and schools.

Despite the widespread impact, no formal complaints have been filed with the association, though residents continue to report health issues to the media and local organizations.

The operations that led to the seizure resulted in legal proceedings against 1,941 individuals, according to the governor’s office.