On the evening of the 23rd, around 8:28 PM, Seoul's Gwangjin Police Station revealed that they had urgently arrested and were investigating a man in his 40s, Mr. A, who had been spreading liquid marijuana advertisements while roaming around a university near his residence in Songpa-gu, Seoul. Mr. A distributed 200 self-made liquid marijuana ads on the campuses of Konkuk University in Gwangjin-gu, Hongik University in Mapo-gu, and Gachon University in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province on the 20th and 22nd of this month.

Increasing concerns as marijuana advertisements surface near universities in Seoul and Gyeonggi area, following the distribution of 'Narcotic Beverages' in Gangnam educational district in April. Business card-sized ads read, 'Need inspiration? We've prepared a revolutionary product for you – 'Liquid Marijuana.' 'Legal' it states, with content like 'One sip and you'll feel the taste,' written in English. Moreover, the ads featured a QR code connecting to a Telegram chat room on the back.

According to the police, Mr. A stated that he distributed the advertisements mainly around university art buildings to 'make a living and thought art students might need inspiration.' He denied any plans to sell actual liquid marijuana, stating that it was for financial support. However, since this man was previously caught selling marijuana four years ago, the police are investigating the possibility that he might have attempted drug trafficking.

Furthermore, the police found an unidentified liquid at Mr. A's residence and sent it to the National Forensic Service for detailed analysis. Mr. A claimed it was a 'liquid e-cigarette.' Despite a 'negative' result for narcotics in Mr. A's preliminary urine test, the police also sent his urine and hair samples to the National Institute of Scientific Investigation for further examination."

A police official stated, 'So far, it has been determined that no one has actually purchased liquid marijuana.' However, students from universities where drug advertisements were found are expressing their anxiety. C, a 22-year-old Economics student at Hongik University, said, 'It was terrifying to think that drugs could be as easily accessible to university students as alcohol and cigarettes.' Additionally, D, a 25-year-old Mathematics student at Konkuk University, added, 'Seeing drug ads spreading even to universities made me realize that drugs have already seeped into our daily lives.'

Experts warned that individuals could face legal consequences even if they did not actually buy drugs if they send money for purchasing based on such advertisements. Park Jin-sil, a specialized narcotics defense attorney, emphasized, 'Distributing ads to a large number of unspecified people is a tactic used by sellers to expand their sales channels.' She cautioned, 'Sending money indicating an intention to trade drugs can lead to legal consequences, so one should never attempt such transactions in the first place.

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Jenny Choi (jchoi2025@chadwickschool.org)