20 Tons of Confiscated Marijuana Burned in Village Center... 25,000 Residents Experience Hallucinations

Burning Confiscated Marijuana in Village Open Area
Residents Suffer from Nausea, Dizziness, and Other Symptoms

Turkish police burned 20 tons of confiscated marijuana in an open area of a village, resulting in nearby residents experiencing symptoms of intoxication.

According to local media outlets such as Turkey Today on May 8 (local time), Turkish police incinerated 20 tons of marijuana on April 18 in the small village of Lice, located in the eastern Diyarbakir Province of Turkey. The marijuana burned in this incident had been seized during anti-drug operations conducted by Turkish police from 2023 to 2024. The estimated value of the marijuana exceeds 10 billion Turkish lira, which is approximately 360 billion won.

A pile of accumulated marijuana is burning in the village named Lice. Social media capture

For several days after the marijuana was burned, the entire village was covered in smoke. As a result, 25,000 residents experienced significant discomfort. Even though residents kept their windows closed, smoke still entered their homes, causing symptoms such as dizziness and nausea. Some residents even exhibited signs of hallucination.

One resident said, "We couldn't open our windows for days because of the smell," and added, "Our children became ill, so we had to keep taking them to the hospital."

The authorities poured 200 liters of gasoline over the pile of marijuana before setting it on fire. Furthermore, before igniting the pile, they arranged the marijuana bundles to spell out the village name 'Lice' as a performance, which further fueled the anger of the local residents.

Yahya Oger, president of the non-profit organization Yesil Yildiz Association, which works on drug addiction prevention in Turkey, criticized the method, saying, "This method of incineration is an utterly unacceptable and unprofessional approach." He pointed out, "Just as passive smoking is as harmful as direct smoking, burning drugs in public spaces can also cause severe intoxication." He added, "This incident should serve as a wake-up call for better disposal procedures. In the future, such substances should be processed in dedicated facilities equipped with smoke filters or in locations far from densely populated areas."