Imagine you’re chilling at home, sipping tea and watching your favorite drama, when suddenly your head starts spinning, the air feels heavy, and your neighbor starts singing to an invisible beat. No, you’re not cursed. You’re just living in Lice, a city in Diyarbakır Province, Turkey, that just got unintentionally hotboxed by 20 tons of burning cannabis. This isn’t a deleted scene from a stoner comedy—it’s a real news story.
Operation Cleanup or Operation High Mass?
On April 18, 2025, Turkish authorities decided to throw a massive weed-burning party, not for the vibes, but to destroy over 20 tons of seized cannabis, worth nearly USD 261 million. This operation had been two years in the making. And the masterminds behind it? None other than the elite team from the Lice District Gendarmerie Command, a semi-military unit known for handling anti-terrorism and drug enforcement.
The venue? An open field uncomfortably close to residential neighborhoods. The weed bundles were even arranged to spell out “Lice”—perhaps as a victory flex or just for aerial photography. Then they doused it all with 200 liters of diesel fuel and lit the match. Dramatic? Sure. But the aftermath? Even more cinematic.
The Smoke? No Joke
The second that fire met diesel, a massive cloud of thick, sticky cannabis smoke rose like a mystical fog straight out of ancient Mesopotamia. The sky darkened, not with rain, but with pure THC-laced vapor. What followed was a city-wide contact high:
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Headaches
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Nausea
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Dizzy spells
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Hallucinations
Roughly 25,000 residents of Lice experienced some form of unexpected “trip.” Kids felt weird, started vomiting, and couldn’t sleep. Parents shut every window and sealed every crack, but the weed vapor still crept in. One local mom told the press, “We couldn’t open our windows. Our children got sick.”
The City Freaks Out (Rightfully So)
Rather than celebrating a drug bust, locals were furious. What was meant to be a crime-fighting win turned into a mass poisoning incident. Hospitals and clinics were overwhelmed. The city’s group chats exploded. One social media user even dubbed Lice: “The town that got high together.”
It sounds ridiculous, but the consequences were very real. People demanded accountability. “We are not guinea pigs!” shouted one community leader.
Experts: “This Ain’t a Barbecue, B. ro”
Yahya Öger, head of Turkey’s Addiction Prevention Association, blasted the entire operation. According to him, cannabis should be destroyed in facilities with proper smoke filtration, not out in the open where people (and probably pigeons) can inhale it. He also criticized the decorative spelling of “Lice” with weed piles: “This isn’t an Instagram campaign—it’s a public health hazard.”
He didn’t hold back. “It’s like holding a death metal concert inside a hospitaWrongong place, wrong approach.”
Officials Respond… Sort of
Kerem Yenigün, the local governor (Kaymakam) of Lice, claimed this was part of a counter-narcotics and counter-terrorism strategy, highlighting the importance of disrupting supply lines to criminal organizations. But as of now, no formal apology has been issued to the affected residents.
So… What Did We Learn?
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Good intentions without planning = disaster.
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Destroying drugs near people’s homes? Big nope.
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THC doesn’t ask for permission before entering your lungs.
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If you’re fighting drugs, don’t make civilians collateral damage.
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And maybe don’t spell your city’s name in weed like it’s Coachella.
Closing Thoughts
This Lice Turkey cannabis burning event should be remembered not just as an unfortunate mistake but as a lesson in how public safety must be prioritized. Especially in sensitive operations like this. Lice, a quiet town in Turkey, probably never imagined it would become the poster child for “how not to burn drugs.”
Hopefully in the future, drug disposal operations will be better planned, far from neighborhoods, and may, e—just ma, be—include actual smoke filters. Because let’s face it: no one wants to wake up high unless it’s on purpose.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Q: Seriously? They burned 20 tons of weed?
A: Yep. 100% real. Not a Cheech & Chong sketch. It was like a New Year’s bonfire, except the fire turned into a citywide contact high.
Q: How can smoke get people high?
A: This isn’t your grandma’s incense. Industrial-grade THC. Breathe it in? Welcome to the Matrix.
Q: Why was the weed arranged to spell “Lice”?
A: No clue. Maybe someone on the team thought it’d look cool from a drone. Or maybe they watched too many music festival promos.
Q: Did the government apologize?
A: Not yet. Maybe they’re still lightheaded or busy ordering industrial fans.
Q: Will this happen again next year?
A: Hopefully not. But if it does, the people of Lice are gonna need masks, melatonin, and emotional support goats.
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