Legality & Viability of vending "alternative"

[Gongchime]

I had the idea of paying a Balinese employee who carries a tray or sits at a table to vend alternative tobacco products in Bali or Lombok as a supplement to a retirement nest egg.

Some are just herbal cigarettes and some are sold on the internet as legal substitutes for Marijuana and other illegal drugs. Dagga and Kanna are herbs from Africa that have a euphoriant effect similar to marijuana but which are legal.

Some products have names that sound like what their trying to simulate such as "Devils Weed, Jamaican Ghanja Moroccan Roll, Red Afghanish, Jordanian Blonde, Zindica.

Some are plants similar to but not identical with what they are replacing such as Wild Opium.

Another product though illegal in Thailand is manufactured in Bali such as Kratom. Maybe you've seen it. One hot new product looks and smells almost exactly like marijuana and has a similar effect.

They have less tar than cigarettes and no nicotine. I feel I could be stopping young people from getting into serious trouble trying to get real illegal drugs.

So my question is how to approach selling these in Bali. I don't want to run afowl of drug laws in Indonesia. Naturally, since they carry the death penalty. I'm especially concerned about the product that looks and smells like marijuana.

I don't want customs to just assume it's marijuana and throw me in the clinker without testing it and give me the death penalty. If it were you would you just not carry that and stick with the other stuff?

I also wouldn't enjoy a corrupt police officer planting illegal drugs on me or threatening to arerest me for posession in order to get heavy bribes.

Should I go to customs and the local police headquarters and tell them my intentions? Should I get an Indonesian partner?

There are other products that are legal hallucinogens but which I refuse to carry such as Salvia Divinorum, Ayahuasca, etc...

 

[froggy]

RE: LegalityViability of vending "alternative" tob

I thought I had the Blue Ribbon Prize wrapped up for the most dumbass ideas to do in Bali- Congratulations my friend, you are #1...... Need I say more?

 

[Bert Vierstra]

RE: LegalityViability of vending "alternative" tob

Why not?

Maybe one of the best ideas ever!

 

[froggy]

RE: LegalityViability of vending "alternative" tob

Your kidding right Bert?Lets think about this for a second, you live up north, way up north -is there alot of corruption where you live?.... Hmm if I was a local dope dealer or cop on the take by the local-little bali mobster drug dealers, I wouldnt really like the fact of some guy getting on my turf trying to sell -wannabe weed, hmm good name by the way. Do you really think the cops are going to do an analysis to see if your crap is "moleculary legatistical"" They arn't really CSI you know! But by all means drag a couple of Kilos through customs in the hope of defending your "position"... I'm sure you will have your day in court to prove what it is -someday, loopholes only work in countries that see loopholes as loopholes, I know, I make a living off loop holes. your time would be better spent exporting products to other countries from Bali. There you go- grow it in Bali (after many bribes, lawyers etc) then export... You wouldnt want to disrupt their system......

 

[Sanurian]

RE: LegalityViability of vending "alternative" tob

Save some of your "retirement nest egg" to pay some bribes to get yourself an internet connection. Then you can post us all here from prison. Maybe some of us'll chip in for an occasional food-parcel for you.

Some people believe that fish is a brain food. By the sound of it, you don't eat much fish.

:shock:

 

[Sanurian]

RE: LegalityViability of vending "alternative" tob

Oops - You obviously have a net connection already.

I meant for after you've been arrested, tried, possibly found "guilty", sentenced, appealed, re-sentenced, etc...(not necessarily in that order).

I concur with froggy that you most definitely do deserve some kind of prize...who knows, you might even make it into the Guiness Book of Records. I can only think that you've been abusing the same substances you want the Balinese to peddle for you.

:lol:

 

[Bert Vierstra]

RE: LegalityViability of vending "alternative" tob

Whatever he has been eating...

Who ever thought of opening a condom shop in Bali?

Now we have one...

If gongchime is able to get all the proper licenses before he starts importing the stuff, why not?

It will cost him, and he probably will not get licenses for a lot, but a "smartshop" In Bali?

Why not?

 

[iainsomers]

RE: LegalityViability of vending "alternative" tob

Being creative is a must for an entrepeneur, being fearless and stupid not.

Reasons:

1. Good chance to be put in jail
2. If not, potential customers will be afraid to go to jail

 

[Guest]

RE: LegalityViability of vending "alternative" tob

Gongchime I was quite interested in your post. Actually I hadn't heard of any of the herbs you mentioned. Kratom (which technically is not a herb) is reputed to be a cross between coca and opium and is in fact legal in most countries including Indonesia. Sounds good to me! And as you pointed out in your post it is produced in Bali.

I wouldn't be put off by the scaremongering. The sky is not going to fall in. Someone who has some actual experience importing products into Indonesia would no doubt be able to give you some good advice. I don't know of any forum members with that experience but if they do exist I hope they can respond.

Failing that I would approach customs directly and perhaps talk to a shipping agent to discuss bonded shipping. I think having customs clearance documentation would put you in a much better position.

 

[Sanurian]

RE: LegalityViability of vending "alternative" tob

You're right Bert

...If gongchime is able to get all the proper licenses before he starts importing the stuff, why not?...

Getting those "proper licenses", as far as I know, would mean a lot more than a visit to the Customs Office. That's up to him and I wish him all the very best in his enterprise.

Now...I can buy Kratom here already? I might try some when I can find some. A cross between coca and opium? Sounds like an upper and a downer at the same time. Can't really see the point, but I haven't tried it. I'm going to ask around.

 

[FreoGirl]

RE: LegalityViability of vending "alternative" tob

Personally I think you are mad.

This just isn't the sort of business venture you would get into unless you had ALL sorts of connections and very good knowledge of the "system" in Indonesia.

What ever your product, importing into Indonesia and trying to sell is very hard to make money. Which is why so many export out of Indonesia and sell elsewhere. The better option is to earn money outside of Indonesia and enjoy your retirement. Be careful losing your retirement nestegg on trying to make money in Bali.

 

[froggy]

RE: LegalityViability of vending "alternative" tob

I dont think the Bali mafia are into condom smuggling&sales, Two entirely different products guys... one stupid idea doesnt deserve another... Again - I emphasize Exporting products-You would be better&safer selling with your own website, than pimping out young boys and girls to enhance your petty drug peddling Empire. License&actual experience importing into Bali&bonded shipping? get real, there have been plenty of post on this matter and we all know it sucks, add to the fact this stuff walks like a duck,looks like a duck,and some smell like a duck, this guy would be asking to be a roasted duck..... I will make this guy a deal, if he Grows this product&products, (getting some local authority to bless this venture) I have a way to sell the crap out of it here in the U.S....Really I do! Its a funny story how I discovered this customer base........

 

[Gongchime]

RE: LegalityViability of vending "alternative" tob

Froggy, this stuff is already all over the internet and no one is gonna make much money off of it in the U.S. since everyone can get it anytime they want with a mailbox and an internet connection. There is already a huge amount of competition coming from every direction in the states.

Anyway, who am I going to find to vend it for me for pennies on the dollar in the states while I kick back in Bali? God knows I don't want to live in America!

Just having a website is not a good business model either. People who make money on the internet almost always were making money already before they got on the internet. They know who their customers are and have a physical location where they're selling.

A website is supplemental, not the whole deal.

Bert and Freogirl thanks for your level headed advice. I'm still researching. I'll come to Bali in October or November and do more research.

Maybe I can buy in Bali and sell in some other Southeast Asian country where lots of foreigners congregate and where their drugs of choice are illegal and rare.

FYI I myself haven't used any of this stuff or what it's simulating in over 16 years. I got the idea from someone who said they supplemented their retirement income this way from a hotdog vendor or 2 inThailand.

I'm not interested in hot dogs but maybe food IS better than herbal cigarettes.

The weather is so much better in Bali than in Mainland Southeast Asia. Thailand is completely unstable right now and though Vietnam is safer, Bali still looks the best.

 

[Bert Vierstra]

RE: LegalityViability of vending "alternative" tob

Oh

If you think you have an original business idea, you got to know this is a very public site...

 

[froggy]

RE: LegalityViability of vending "alternative" tob

Oh crap, Heres the "Plan"... for making $$ off this stupid product....... Yes your right, there are internet sites all over with this stuff, but no one markets it worth a crap.NO-ONE..... Do you really want to make $$ with this or not? I will tell you how, I will set up the website, you fill my orders from over there... we both make a ton of cash,, well sound good? Are you in or out? Do you have access to all this product NOW, TODAY? How long will it take to get access to a nice and varied product supply? And would you consider yourself a semi-expert in these products? I'm not kidding around, I can make this happen on my side, I have had this nich pondering in my head for about 2 years before you even mentioned it on the forum..........

 

[froggy]

RE: LegalityViability of vending "alternative" tob

I just sent bert a Pm with my brilliant idea&nich, lets see if he comes back here to tell you how great it is?

 

[Bert Vierstra]

RE: LegalityViability of vending "alternative" tob

Ok,

before this turns into a (future) Bali Expat Drug Forum....

Can we plz move on??

 

[Gongchime]

I do not live in America. I live in Korea. Have been for the last 3 years. I don't grow this stuff here or anywhere. They've got this stuff and other stuff that would be illegal in America flowing out of the Netherlands like wildfire.

Salvia is listed as a drug of concern now because, even though you think it may not be marketed well, is selling like crazy on the internet. Just do a wiki search and read about why it can't be made illegal in the U.S. and the ongoing fight to criminalize it.

You can find literally 1,000s of videos of young people high on it, on http://www.youtube.com. Just do a search there for Salvia.

I would look for a source to sell the herbal blends to me wholesale. Haven't secured one yet. If you want to give it a go in the U.S. then may I suggest going over to http://www.everyonedoesit.com and having a look at the products and then trying to secure your own wholesale source.

A google search for legal highs, entheogens or ethnobotanicals etc.. will turn up hundreds of websites selling this stuff.

Also go to http://knightpeople.homestead.com/smudge.html and scroll down the page to where it says something like "smudge burned on charcoal" about 3/4s of the way down.

There you'll find the hottest new thing on the market called Ono Budz and BoBo Red which are the ones that look, quack and smell like a marijuana duck as it were.

Bert this may be a very public site but I see some posts still up on here that are old as the hills. And everyone except you thinks I'm absolutely crazy to even consider trying it. Maybe my idea is safe.

But now that you mention it, maybe I won't say which ones I'll be contemplating to ask customs to consider. Needless to say, after talking to you nice folks I won't be considering Ono Budz. I'm not a big fan of "Roast Duck."

By the way, I enjoyed your 3D link. I've seen those before in the Taj and the Potala Palace. The technology available nowadays...

 

[JAMIE]

RE: Legality & Viability of vending "alternative&qu

Gong , before you jumps to fast on this plan of yours , will you foward me a sample or two so I can see what all the "buzz" is about .

 

[Gongchime]

RE: Legality & Viability of vending "alternative&qu

Jamie, you can order whatever you like from the website's links I posted as long as you have a credit card and know what's legal to import to Bali. The companies usually say they won't refund your money if it's confiscated or won't give you legal advice if you get into trouble.