Put down that jointΒ and pay attention, bro! This is exactly where you need to be between November 12-15.
Thousands of horticulturists and stoners descend to Cannabis Cup every November for a celebration of the happy herb, vying for the title of the best Mary Jane out there. This year, the festival is headed to the lap of Rastafarian culture, to Negril, Jamaica. This festival brings together the best of Rasta culture and some of the best pot in the world. The world of weed isΒ pretty excited about this year’s Cannabis Cup, and we’re here to tell you some of theΒ best things that will be going down at the festival…
Just keep it, 420%.
1. The Perfect Location
There probably isn’t a better place to have a festival celebrating marijuana than Jamaica. This is especially true now, because apart from the long standing bond Jamaican Rastafarians have had with the plant, it was also recently decriminalised in the country. Jamaica is also absolutely gorgeous, and is an awesome place to sit back, relax, and get highΒ with some absolutely incredible people.
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2. Rastafari Rootzfest
Hosting this year’s Cannabis Cup is Rastafari Rootzfest, a comprehensive and educational event that celebrates Rastafari ideology, livity and culture. It will also tell the story of the long Rastafari struggle for the legalisation of ganja, and will actually be the first event exempt from marijuana laws since the government legally recognised Rastafari sacramental and religious rights earlier this year.Β Highlighting this victory, the Jamaican Rastafari community is hosting this year’s Cannabis Cup, also in an effort to welcome other people to understand their culture and why cannabis is important to it.
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3. Emphasis on understanding the Rastafari bond with Cannabis
A number of the seminars and discussions at the festival deal with how and why the herb is central to one of the oldest and most important cultures in Jamaica. “Significance of Herb to Rastafari & Grassroots Struggle for Legalization”, “Rastafari Journey with Herb”, “Rastafari Use of Herb & Traditional Growing Techniques”, “Organic vs. Ital: Towards Rastafari Ganja Model” and “Honoring the Original Herb Advocates – Rastafari Matriarchs and Patriarchs” are some of the discussions you can attend to actually gain an in-depth knowledge about the culture, and the way it seesΒ the herb.
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4. Learning to actually cultivate
If you’ve always dreamt of growing your own pot, this is actually the perfect place to learn how. Starting with the “First-time Growers’ Workshop”, you can actually make your long overdue entry into the niche world of cannabis cultivation. There are other brilliant workshops like “Making Heavenly Hash” by Marc ‘Bubbleman’ Richards, “Growing Successfully Outdoors”, “Specialized Cultivation Methods and Techniques”, and you’ll probably end up picking up some greatΒ tips!
5. Awesome homegrown Jamaican Pot
The High Times 2015 Jamaican Cannabis Cup is without a doubt the best place to sample some pot this month. The festival will gather some of the best ganja from traditional farmers in each Jamaican parish, and the people attending get to sample it! Although you may be a bit fuzzy after your fourth or fifth “sample”, you have to make sure to write the names down, along with what you liked/disliked about each one, because it’s going to be a public poll for the best variety!
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6. Some of the best Smoking paraphernalia
A festival dedicated to cannabis is obviously incomplete without smoking paraphernalia. You can be sure that chillums, bongs, and every imaginative smoking device you can think of will be on display here. You can try them, buy them, or just admire them from a distance. Either way, there’s nothing stopping you from getting really, really high at Cannabis Cup.
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7. Talented Reggae artists
There’s going to be some brilliant live music at the festival, especially (in keeping with what the festival is about), reggae artists. The line-up includes stars of the genre likeΒ Luciano, Bushman and I Wayne. Every night, the festival will be rounded off by performances by artists like Jah Love, Mutubarka, Jah Bouks, Tah Riley and Mighty Diamonds!
8. The Cannabis Cup Awards
Cannabis cultivators from all over Jamaica, as well as people from other parts of the world, will be vying for the top spot in the awards. The categories include Jamaica Hash,Β Jamaica Indica,Β Jamaica Sativa, and it’s attendees who get to decide who wins.Β Awards for sativa, indica and hybrid flowers, concentrates, ‘topicals’ and edibles will be given, and the winners will head to the World Cannabis Cup, which will be judged in the U.S. next October.
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