| John Moore |
| A man smokes a joint at a 4-20 celebration in front of the state capitol building, April 20, 2010, Denver, Colorado |
By Artemis Hendy
Special to Toke of the Town
From all over the world, people regularly make hazy pilgrimages to the Mecca of cannabis smoking, Amsterdam. It is not only home to liberal drug laws and a huge selection of cannabis cafes; it is also a stunningly beautiful city with picture perfect canals all over the place, historic churches lurching out of the scenery and quaint buildings on every corner. You can’t help but want to move there.
But chances are you have been there and bought the t-shirt — and now, Amsterdam is threatening to ban foreign “weed tourists,” anyway.
So why not try an alternative cannabis-conscious destination? Such as…
| Chris Hondros |
| The haze of marijuana smoke looms over a crowd of thousands at 4:20 pm April 20, 2010 at the University of Colorado in Boulder |
4-20 Day, USA/Canada
This is pretty much National Cannabis Day in both the United States and Canada.
In states where it is legal to do so — and some where it isn’t — thousands of cannabis lovers will come together on April 20 (4/20 by the US dating system) and at 4:20 pm will spark up in unison.
It is said that the tradition started in the 1970s when a group of teenagers would meet after school in San Rafael, California at the same time; ‘420’ became a code they used for smoking weed and it stuck.
You can attend events in Central Park, New York; Golden Gate Park in San Francisco; Boulder, Colorado; Tallahassee, Florida and many other places.
Best for: Group smoking
| Cannabis N.I. |
Barcelona, Spain
Smoking in public in Spain isn’t officially tolerated, but you can possess up to 40 grams legally and major cannabis events such as Spannabis happen every year.
There are many major cannabis seed breeders based there, so it certainly has its place.
In my experience, as long as you don’t make a scene you can smoke it pretty much anywhere.
Barcelona is a stunning city too, Guadi architecture is everywhere and there’s a nice beach!
Best for: Beach smoking
| Cedro |
| The tropical island of Jamaica is a country with a traditional use of cannabis dating back some 150 years |
Kingston, Jamaica
Like Spain, Jamaica doesn’t officially permit cannabis consumption but it is in reality, very widely tolerated.
You can’t go far without someone offering to sell you some either.
Go to Kingston and sample the culture a bit before you get your ‘Bob Marley’ on and drift off into the scenery.
Best for: Chillin’ to Marley while smoking
| European Coalition for Just and Effective Drug Policies (ENCOD) |
| Protesters in Prague demand the legalization of cannabis at the Global Marijuana March, May 2009 |
Prague,
Czech Republic
I was surprised to find that the Czech Republic is such a cannabis-tolerant country.
You can keep up to five plants in your home and carry up to 15 grams.
Liberal criminal justice bills have made it one of the most tolerant places in Europe, and Prague, in particular, is a beautiful city to visit.
Best for: Beer and babes
| Nimbin Mardi Grass |
Nimbin, Australia
While in entire states such as South Australia, Western Australia, Northern Territory and Australian Capital Territory marijuana has been decriminalised, it is the village of Nimbin in New South Wales that is the spiritual home of cannabis down under.
Cannabis is openly grown, sold and consumed on its streets a
nd the residents have been campaigning for the end to marijuana prohibition since 1993.
nd the residents have been campaigning for the end to marijuana prohibition since 1993.
Best for: Experiencing an alternative lifestyle
Where have you been on a cannabis holiday?
Editor’s note: Artemis Hendy is a cannabis seeds collector and has his own seed bank. His favourite strains are those produced by Lowryder Seeds Company.