Professional cripple here...
ex-telecoms engineer, worked and lived in 24 countries during my working life till I had an accident in Ukraine in 1992 which left me paraplegic.
As far as smoking goes....
Oman... military contract 1979 - 1981, was getting pure hashish from the seargent in the stores, he was a Baluchistani and his family produced the stuff, but I could get whiskey which he couldn't, so we would deal that way, I give him a bottle of Johnny Walker Black Label (cost me around £4) and he would give me 5 ounces approx of hashish... and I assure you it was absolutely pure and the best hash I've ever ever had.
Nigeria 1981 - 1982, reasonable quality bush-weed.
Hawaii, 1984 for 2 months on ANZCAN submarine cable, the weed on Oahu was called "Pacalolo", and was fantastic, cheap at first for the first month, then I got a local girlfriend who's family grew it, so then free...
http://atlantic-cable.com/Cables/1984ANZCAN/
Norfolk Island, 1984 for 7 months, also ANZCAN... weed grew wild on the Island, so was free...
United Arab Emirates (Abu Dhabi and Dubai) 1984 - 1986, occasional good weed available from the Thai workers who would bring in audio cassettes, as a disguise as they contained "Thai stick" really.
Thailand 1986, living in Bangkok and Kanchanaburi... free weed through my local girlfriends family...
but most countries I worked in it was too risky to get weed, and the biggest surprise was Brazil (1991) where I lived for 6 months, not able to get much weed there, no problem getting cocaine but I had no interest in cocaine.