Happy Pizza -> Siem Reap, Cambodia

To the uninitiated, the so-called Cambodian “Happy Pizza” is something to be delicately sampled out of cautious amazement. Fear-filled tales of forgotten afternoons, stolen wallets, and daze-induced slumber abound, often presented as menacingly as a mine warning sign. Maybe these stories are validly told to keep straight people straight, or to protect a somewhat dubious Khmer industry, but when you fancy yourself a cannabis connoisseur, the consumption of a ganja-laced pizza isn't merely for sustenance or experimentation, but to get stoned.
That said, it seems that all pizzas don't share the same emotion, as some pretty “sad” ones are masquerading as “happy.” Fortunately, when in Siem Reap – and who isn't at some point while traveling in Cambodia – there's a strong contender for the strongest edible herb food in the land: Happy Special Pizza. In all fairness, only one other competitor was tried, but when a local expat makes a recommendation, and the product exceeds the expectations, trying all of the remaining competition seems a bit unnecessary.
All “Happy Pizza” restaurants, and Siem Reap has at least four, serve plenty of normal Western and Khmer food, often at very competitive prices. Even the herb is free, as pizza prices are set on the menu, so happiness when requested does not impact the bill. The guidebooks may half-jokingly warn about requesting “extra happy,” but if you are a regular smoker and don't have too many pertinent plans for the remainder of the day, you're going to want all the power possible, and even then it may require a smoke-filled activation either before or after consumption.
Happy Special Pizza carries four pages of pizzas, virtually anything you can imagine with the ingredients available, and they'll add enough pulverized happy powder that the topping is undoubtedly taste-able. Not overpowering, but impossible to ignore, such that if you want to eat a pizza for pizza-eating sake alone, you'll need to intake your daily dose of happy in another manner. Fortunately, “happy shakes” are also available, although they do cost an additional dollar ($2 total) versus regular shakes. Pricing-pattern discrepancies aside, the shake packs a lot of power, resulting in a surprisingly quick shake-bake, especially if late-night smoking occurred – the THC and other goodies still floating around get quite effectively reactivated, readying an ardent smoker for (yet) another day of temple exploring. Sunrises aside, from 6am – midnight your ganja food needs can be easily taken care of. On a related note, an egg-oriented breakfast, served whenever you might require it, is delicious, affordable, and massive compared to the most of the other tourist restaurants.
Other perks abound, including free carryout and delivery. But arguably the most risque, or otherwise risky, aspect of Happy Special Pizza is what they sell from behind the counter. Good-sized bags of herb cost only $10, though the quality is prone to fluctuation, maybe due to a lack of concern so long as the product cooks well. Pre-rolled joints can also be purchased for $1, they smoke well but have at least some tobacco mixed in. It takes a bit of courage to go inquire, especially with all the women and children glued to the nearby TV, but it's obviously a standard request here since the ladies don't mind selling you a sack, and the kids think nothing of delivering a tray full of ice-cold “happy shakes.”
Basically there's nothing to lose if you are interested, you've just got to look for the smiling green sun on the white neon sign when you wander north of Pub Street - on the same block as Happy Herb's Pizza - and then you'll have found yourself in a little slice of Amsterdam in Asia.
Overall the experience is quite similar to India's government-authorized bhang shops (perhaps most famously located in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan), but marijuana is still definitely illegal in Cambodia. It's just that no one seems to mind a little herbal cooking, not even the police – who have been presumably well-paid to look the other way – and clearly the under-the-table more illicit activities aren't causing any real problems. From the child prostitution warning signs, to the pile of needles we found in the street, Siem Reap unfortunately has bigger concerns than a bunch of foreign tourists indulging in a little herbal relaxation between temple visits. After all, everyone in town is there for Angkor Wat and its equally impressive companions, but a sober brain grows quickly weary of staring at stone. Stoned stone-staring, meanwhile, is an enjoyable age-old activity, and who knows, maybe the builders of Angkor themselves would munch down on some marijuana pizza, or drink a tasty weed shake, before heading home after a long day of carving in the jungle heat... sounds probable, and therefore indulging in some happiness is merely being culturally sensitive, right?