How Do You Win a Free Jamaican Ganja Vacation with All the Weed You Want?
Cannabis.net got to sit down and discuss the hottest niche in the cannabis space, canna-tourism. Ganja Vacations is the premier vacation booking company for cannabis and Jamacia. They are also giving away a free cannabis-themed vacation, no fee required, just enter your info and maybe you can win! Click here to enter, it's free to try!
Jamaica is legendary for its cannabis, what is the legal status of cannabis in Jamaica now?
Technically speaking, only medical ganja is legal. As a tourist you can purchase ganja with a medical card from your home country but there is no problem Mon if you don’t have one. All the herb houses (dispensaries) have medical people on staff who will issue a medical card in about 10 minutes. No medical exam is required, and you don’t have to feign acute pain from cancer or fibromyalgia; you’re good to go so long as you can prove that you are over the age of 18.
Secondly, it is legal to possess up to 2 ounces. And breaking the law is not a criminal act; it’s an administrative matter (somewhat like a parking ticket) that carries a fine of about US $2. We do not recommend smoking in public but even then, the cop is likely to look the other way or, at worst, just ask you to stop.
Canna-tourism is huge niche right now, what gave you the idea for Ganja-Vacations?
GanjaVacations evolved from several events staring with the decriminalization of ganja in 2015 and my experience with boutique resorts on the island. These small properties have neither the resources nor the scale to properly promote themselves and tend to operate at low occupancy levels. Many are ganja friendly and creating a bridge between these properties and a worldwide audience of weed loving travelers seemed like a lucrative proposition.
Also, as your readers already know, Jamaica has a long history with ganja and American tourists have been visiting and buying it on the black market with little problem or risk for decades. However, before GanjaVacations, it was virtually impossible for anyone to research, plan and book a ganja vacation on the island. There was no place to get the information to do that. For example, very, very few resorts identify as ganja friendly, even those that are. GanjaVacations has solved this problem by creating a portal for cannabis vacation experiences on the island with information such as ganja friendly resorts, herb houses, activities, tours, and, of course, exclusive vacation packages. Our ganja vacation packages are not available anywhere else – not even from the participating resorts themselves.
Finally, one of the interesting things about Jamaica is that the government is also on the ganja tourism bandwagon. Senior cabinet officers have talked publicly about establishing Jamaica as a world renown mecca for medical ganja tourism. And although it is not yet clear what kind of resources the government will deploy to make this happen, they seem to be already banking on billions in tax revenue and foreign exchange earnings.
What is a ganja vacation like in Jamaica, what can people expect?
There is no one Jamaican ganja vacation experience. It varies dramatically according to the property and location as well as the curiosity and adventurousness of the vacationer. Many properties offer a visit to a herb house right off the plane before the ride to the resort which in some cases may be about 90 minutes. Some properties offer ganja on arrival, ganja farm tours as well as ganja infused massages and meals. We also have properties in rural communities where guests get to interact with local farmers.
What makes marijuana in Jamaica different from other parts of the world? Is volcanic black soil really the big secret?
I cannot speak to the botany of Jamaican ganja but to me what makes Jamaica unique is the degree to which weed has been an essential part of the culture for many decades and the extent to which this connection between ganja and Jamaica has been enhanced by the rites, rituals, and practices of Rastafarianism. Reggae music has also played a part and, as I’m sure you know, many of the iconic reggae stars are Rastafarian. To many foreigners the words “ganja” and “Jamaica” are almost synonymous but ganja in Jamaica is not just about the native strains and the historic nonchalant (for tourists) enforcement of the law; for the truly curious tourist, Jamaica offers cultural experiences that are not available anywhere else in the world.
Rastafarians are a big part of legalization in Jamaica, what do they think of Jamaica being a tourist canna hotspot?
For decades Rastafarians were routinely beaten up by police and sent to prison for possessing and consuming something they consider central to their beliefs, religion, culture, and social interactions. In general, Rastafarians welcome the new law which has exemptions for “sacramental” uses; like tens of thousands of other Jamaicans, they are also hoping to cash in on the new business opportunities that have opened but, like just about all the small farmers on the island, the Rastafarian’s biggest fear is that American money is going to come in and take control of a market that survived for decades primarily on the back of their suffering.
What hotels and resorts do you work with in Jamaica?
We are partnering exclusively with small boutique resorts. It is unlikely that we will have any property on the site with more than 50 rooms and some will be B&Bs with as few as 2 or 3. Jamaica has a very large number of these quaint properties at picturesque locations, many of which offer chic accommodations, great service, and amazing culinary adventures. To date, we have commitments from close to 100 although only about 50 are currently listed. The ganja tourist comes with many different size wallets and our objective is to provide ganja vacation experiences at all price points – from hostel to luxury.
It is also important to note that on GanjaVacations you cannot just book rooms; you buy a “package” that comes with a certain number of room nights plus inclusions such as airport transfers, meals, tours, and some form of ganja. These packages vary widely based on the resort, the price, and the location. Some of our resorts are in well known tourist towns, others in small fishing villages and some 2500 ft up in the cool air of the Jamaican mountains.
What advice would you give someone trying to get in the cannabis space right now?
The cannabis space is so large and diverse that it is virtually impossible for me to offer anything but useless generic advice. However, anecdotal information from my interactions over the past couple of years leads me to believe that there are a lot of wide-eyed entrepreneurs who see the cannabis industry as a shiny new city with streets paved in gold. With visions of the millions to be made, some of these entrepreneurs are jumping in without a sufficiently thoughtful business plan and this. is a recipe for disaster.
What was one mistake you made that you wish you could get a do-over for when setting up Ganja Vacations?
GanjaVacations is an idea that I have been cogitating on since early 2018 but for almost 2 years, it was 2nd banana to other business priorities. We launched our website in late 2019 hoping to operate under the radar for a few months as we populated the site with resorts. But then covid happened. We would have been in a much better position to deal with the lockdown if we’d moved more quickly and was already a viable business in Q1 2020.
What is the best way for people to contact you or book a trip? Email? Social media?
Email and social media are both great. Calling us at (888) 524-2652 is also good. However, the best place to start is with the many very affordable ganja vacation options available on our website. It is very easy to book directly there or to contact us directly with questions or special requests.
Do you have any discounts or coupon codes we can offer Cannabis.net readers for a Jamaican Vacation?
The weed lovers on Cannabis.net can win a FREE ganja vacation in Jamaica at one of the best boutique resorts on the island by entering our Jamaica Giveaway promotion that expires on September 4. No purchase is required and there is no cost to enter.
As an additional special for Cannabis.net readers, we are offering a $150 gift certificate to the first 100 people who sign up on our Contact page with the word “Cannabis.net” in the subject line. Bookings must be made within 6 months and travel within 6 months after that. Ready to enter, no purchase necessary, click here to enter!
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