Hashish in Egypt - subculture or mainstream?

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Smoking hash in Egypt has become normality and
so much more than a subculture (Picture: copyright Splifr)

When I first got to Egypt from Germany four years ago, I did not expect to find such a huge "subculture" of hash consumers. Over the years, I found that this is in fact not as much as subculture as it is a mainstream habit.

Most of the people that I'm surrounded by smoke up. Many of my friends, as well as cabdrivers, shop owners and business men and women. There really is no particular kind of person who is more apt to consuming hash.

However, this might be a generation appearance. Older people usually don't smoke up - at least not the ones in the city. With Bedouins, this is a different story. They don't have any age limits on smoking hash.

Anyways, from my observations, I would say that smoking hash is much more than a subculture in Egypt. I would almost estimate that about 60 percent of all Egyptians between the ages 16 and 35 do smoke up. But of course, this is just my own estimation.

Which leads me to my next question: why are they doing it? Smoking hash is obviously a way to feel indifferent to what is going on with and around you. The high, people get, creates a certain numbness and apathy, which many people consider a pleasant experience.

Unfortunately, this only works for the benefit of the Egyptian government. Because, even though the drug laws here are pretty strict, it is pretty easy for the normal Egyptian to get out of getting a jail sentence by distributing a little bribe here and there... everybody knows that.

I'm neither encouraging or discouraging the hash consummation, but I just find it peculiar that in a country like Egypt where so much is going wrong, a large portion of the population are taking drugs that will help them deal with the grievances in their immediate environment... Meanwhile, this country needs people who are aware and awake and ready to fight for their rights.