GRIOTS REPUBLIC - AN URBAN BLACK TRAVEL MAG - JULY 2016

CANNABIS
TOURISM
By Diana O'Gilvie
Marijuana tourism is on the rise worldwide
and a few key cities and countries
are leading the charge in this billion-dollar
industry. The socio-economic implications
are still formulating, but many governments
currently find themselves caught between legislating
marijuana supply, educating citizens
and stemming the tide of the drug trade.
In the United States, four states have legalized
marijuana for recreational use, but only
Colorado and Washington have licensed dispensaries
where you can buy marijuana with
a prescription or for recreational use. These
two states have marijuana tours reminiscent
of California vineyards, but city and state
tourism boards still shy away from promoting
marijuana as an attraction. Big hotel chains
also avoid marijuana-friendly advertising, so
weed travelers are booking cannabis tours
that already include accommodations.
In Amsterdam, unofficially dubbed the ‘Napa
Valley of Weed,’ the city offers more sophisticated
tours. When visitors enter the city’s
famed brown cafes they are handed a menu
with the offered marijuana strains of the day.
The Dutch’s approach to marijuana is directed
at the idea that every human being can make
their own decisions about matters concerning
their own health. This tolerant policy isn’t some
miraculous solution to abate drug abuse. It’s
common sense. Their approach is two-fold:
give citizens personal freedom of choice while
closely monitoring the drug abuse landscape.
Holland’s focus is primarily on public health
instead of emphasizing the criminal element.
This approach means government can be more
effective in informing the public on drug prevention
and testing. One such way, cracking
down on cultivation Holland’s government is
considering classifying marijuana with higher
levels of THC as a hard drug. Marijuana growers
are facing stiffer regulations. In the past,
people could grow up to five plants legally.
In 2011, new regulations narrowed the definition
of a professional as anyone who grew
marijuana with prepared soil, electric lights
and ‘selected seeds.’ Professional growers
names are added to a blacklist and face eviction
from government subsidized housing,
which is roughly half of the Dutch population.
This causes an increase in black market marijuana.
Human nature dictates that if you tell
people they can’t have something, they’re going
to want more of it. As a result, coffee shops
are taking risks in securing marijuana from
illegal enterprises, willing to absorb criminal
penalties. Naturally, marijuana is more expensive
and the quality shoddy.
Despite Jamaica’s ganja (local term for marijuana)
loving reputation, the herb is illegal. Jamaica’s
ganja cultural roots run deep and the
road to legalization is riddled with potholes.
Earlier this year, the government voted to decriminalize
up to two ounces of cannabis for
medicinal purposes, personal use and holy
sacrament of the Rastafarian community. A
criminal record in Jamaica makes it hard to
get a job or secure a coveted visa to America,
Canada or England. Decriminalization
unclogs the courts and frees up the police’s
time. A new ‘cannabis licensing authority’ will
regulate the cultivation and distribution of
marijuana for legal purposes. Tourists who
have prescriptions from their home country
can pay the Ministry of Health for permits to
buy marijuana during their stay in Jamaica.
The new law eliminates the unnecessary
source of friction between law enforcement
and citizens and ensures young people aren’t
shackled with criminal records for a little spliff
(local term for joint). Jamaica joins Argentina,
Colombia and Mexico in decriminalizing small
amounts of marijuana. Like these countries,
Jamaica recognizes that the harsh crackdown
on ganja has failed to stifle the illegal consumption
and trade.
When it comes to the legalization of marijuana,
Uruguay’s stance on the issue is landmark.
The country’s bold new laws legalizing
marijuana have positioned them as the only
country to license and enforce rules for dis-