Jamaica Skanking – or How to Take the Best of the World Weed Capital

If you’re a reggae aficionado like me I’m sure after all those honest, warm and bassy tunes in praise of Kingston, Jah and Rastafari visiting Jamaica is surely one of the things on top of your to-do list.

Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean Sea, a green paradise in the embrace of crystal blue water, a place with a huge history and fine music, also a top rum and Blue Mountain coffee exporter.

However, what Jamaica is best known in the world is being the Weed Capital of the world. A country we almost don’t expect to see floating in the sea but in a thick cloud of ganja smoke.

The story 

 In the end of the 17th century a significant part of the Jamaican population has decreased because of diseases brought by the European colonists. However they needed labor force to turn Jamaica in the biggest Caribbean sugar producer of the time and they engaged in slave trading from Africa and later India where the herb supposedly came from.

Marijuana is easy to grow and process in small quantities so it easily became wide-spread and gained popularity as the herb of the poor communities. In 1920 the Rastafari movement appeared to fight injustice, racism, slavery and exploitation. It quickly turned into the religious movement we know nowadays and marijuana became its holy herb (as referred to in the bible), their way to establish a spiritual ascendance.

Legalize it!

 Believe it or not marijuana smoking in Jamaica is prohibited and illegal and all your favorite reggae ganja anthems are decriminalization statements, so if you have special planned marijuana trip in Jamaica. For many years Jamaican activists have been struggling to have cannabis legalized but haven’t yet succeeded. That’s why don’t fall for the idea that right from the airport you’ll be given a spliff. Actually you’d probably be given one, but most likely it will be a set up so you find yourself either in the police office or scammed in no time.

A lot of people are coming to Jamaica with the idea great pot is all over and as expected there are a lot of people going to take advantage of tourists with this mindset. If you want to get a glimpse of how Jamaicans live try making some friends, try making some real and cool local contacts.

Yes, it will take you more time, but at least you won’t end screwed over. The country has established a somehow double standard who’d pursuit youngsters and tourists struggling to just get wasted on weed but will appreciate and respect the role of cannabis as a key element in the Rastafari religious rituals. Still don’t be surprised if you see a man street-selling local weed.

Some sightseeing 

Jamaica is not a big country so its most famous tourist locations are pretty well-known and somehow limited. Just like every popular tourist destination the country is also infested by businessmen who’s turned its beautiful nature in a money making machine. That being said it’s advised to choose Negril or Bob Marley’s Nine Mile birthplace over the overcrowded Ochos Rios.

The Bob Marley Museum

If you find yourself in Kingston then the Bob Marley Museum is worth the look. However if you really want to feel the place just go around.

See some reggae locals skanking, just enjoy a neat holiday with a carefully selected local ganja when nobody’s looking and the rest Bob Marley already wrote it.


Excuse me while I light my spliff

Oh, God, I got to take a lift

From reality I just can't drift

~ Easy Skaning