20 April has become associated with the consumption of cannabis and the entire cannabis subculture through the notion of ‘four-twenty’.
The earliest use of the term cannabis began among a group of teenagers in California in early 1970s who used the term as a code for a plan to search for an abandoned cannabis crop that they had learned about. They designated the Louis Pasteur statue as their meeting place, and at almost half past 4 they would meet and enact the plan “4:20 Louis”. The phrase was eventually shortened to “4:20”, which ultimately became the code word which teens used to refer to pot smoking.
Here is a list of 10 unlikely marijuana friendly destinations.
1. Kingston, Jamaica:
When cold weather arrives, or any time you want a ganja vacation, you probably want to go to Jamaica. Land of Bob Marley, with marijuana growing an agricultural livelihood for many islanders, cannabis lovers across the world flock to the Caribbean to get reggae ganja fun in the sun.
Jamaica has a lot going for it, and you find lots to love there, but It’s also a third world country plagued by poverty, income inequality and crime. If you want a safe and fun Jamaican ganja vacation, you need to read this carefully.
I’ve visited Jamaica three times,and I’m giving you a very stern look at Jamaica as a vacation destination. Here’s the first thing to remember: you can’t just go anywhere and do anything you want in Jamaica as if you were on a tourist trip to Holland.
Even though marijuana is illegal on the island, lots of people will try to sell you ganja there. You get offered ganja deals before you even got out of the airport, by taxi drivers who pick you up from the airport, by street vendors, and even by children and police officers.
2. Amsterdam, Netherlands
Hundreds of coffee shops where marijuana and hashish can be purchased over the counter and consumer. Amsterdam is the home of the Annual High Times Cannabis Cup, which is held ever November and boasts incredible museums and parks.
Info about 2012 ban:
A law that would have banned foreigners from using Amsterdam’s famous cannabis cafes was dropped by the city’s mayor just mere months after the Netherlands first began enforcing the restrictions in other provnces.
The tourist drug ban went into effect in three of the country’s southern provinces earlier this year and was due to expand to the rest of the country — including Amsterdam — by 2013, the Associated Press reported.
Mayor Eberhard van der Laan said that Amsterdam’s 220 coffee shops where marijuana and hashish are openly sold and consumed will remain open to the public.
3. Toronto, Canada
“Canada’s Eastern regions boast some excellent marijuana and many businesses, especially those located on Yonge St. Although it is against the law to possess marijuana in Canada, enforcement agencies are primarily focused on individuals guilty of trafficking the drug. Marijuana users in Toronto report that police officers are lenient to those who are discreet.
But just as Colorado and Washington loosened up, Canada tightened its drug laws in November of 2012.
On the very same day as the U.S. election, the Canadian federal Safe Streets and Communities Act went into effect, producing a mandatory minimum penalty for marijuana possession and production: one year in jail for more than 3 kg, and six months for between six and 200 plants.
Carl Valle, Press Secretary for Prime Minister Stephen Harper says that these drugs are illegal because of the harmful effect they have on users and on society, including violent crimes. The government therefore has no interest in seeing any of these drugs legalized or to make them more easily available to youth.
A new poll done in 2012 showed that a majority of Canadians support loosening the country’s marijuana laws, a stance that’s starkly out of sync with the federal government’s pot policy.
According to the poll, released Tuesday by Toronto’s Forum Research, 65 per cent of Canadians favour either the legalization and taxation of the drug, or decriminalizing it in small amounts.
Although the laws have been tightened, the streets and some of the cafes are still puffing.
4. Manama, Bahrain
If you get caught you will probably spend 2 to 4 weeks in prison and will be interrogated harshly and then released on bail until your case goes to court. The judge might sentence you to 6 months in prison minimum and 10 years maximum – so be careful.
There is no marijuana in Bahrain available, but high quality hashish is always an option. It is hard to buy it off the streets with no connections, but you could always try going to bars on exhibition road. A Thai hooker might also fix you up, if she doesn’t she will know someone who will. Everybody smokes hash in Bahrain, but are really serious about keeping it quiet.
Prices do differ with every dealer in Bahrain and dealers don’t sell the drug in grams. You could get a piece as big as your thumb for 20 bd – 50 $.
5. Barcelona, Spain
Smoking in public in Spain isn’t 100% tolerated, but you can possess up to 40 grams legally and major cannabis events such as Spannabis are the talk of town.
Barcelona is a stunning city to visit, Guadi architecture is everywhere and nice beaches!