One of the worst nightmares for any pothead is travelling somewhere and not having anything to smoke. You show up in another city or country and have to fend for yourself. Depending on the country you’re in, you know that finding something to smoke is going to be mission impossible.
If you’re in a prohibitionist and intolerant country with harsh penalties for drug possession, the best solution about cannabis is not bringing any, not smoking any and not buying any, if you don’t want to end up in a death pen with the “nicest” company imaginable, or what is worse- well, maybe not worse, depending on how you look at it- with your head separated from your neck, i.e. guillotined.
I have travelled extensively around the world for several reasons and, of course, I have always been interested in the local status of our favourite plant, marijuana. In some places I have quickly abandoned the search for something to bring into my lungs. Convictions and fines can be really severe and this may really put you off, like Singapore and its zero tolerance for example. You’re better off smoking a bit of rolling tobacco, a tiny psychological joint. In these situations, one of the best things about coming back is thinking about that little bud, waiting for you in your curing box by the couch; knowing how delicious it’s going to be and how good, is going to make you feel… Purrrrrrr…
In most places I’ve been to around the world, as varied as Chile or Istanbul, Jamaica or Beijing, I’ve found some really nice – and sometimes not so nice – things to smoke. I’ve also had some pleasant surprises and made more than one friend. What grass has joined together let no man put asunder!
When you’re a foreigner and you go around the world in search of marijuana, you usually pay more than you should for weed. Sometimes you don’t even find any and/or what you find is more like O’LEAF Kush than OG Kush. But other times, the stars align and you find something amazing. I’ll never forget that hash, made with Pollinator grinders… God only knows how it ended up in the hands of that lost fisherman in the middle of the Caribbean. Long story short, I ended up smoking one of the best hashes I’ve ever smoked, on his little boat off a white-sand beach with turquoise waters. It’s also true that I was on the island of Bob Marley and Usain Bolt.
I don’t know what it is about boats but I smoked another amazing hash sailing up the Nile, looking at Egyptian cities and ruins. It was a red hash imported from Lebanon – the wonderful and legendary Lebanese red. Reddish pollen, soft and sweet with a thick smoke… It still makes my mouth water.
Another of my luckiest moments was arriving at an airport in a big city in South America and catching a cab, I saw that the driver had a Dinafem can in the glove box… Hallelujah! No way! After sizing him up a bit and doing everything within my power to not seem too forward, I asked him about the can and the driver laughed out loud. He told me that he was a grower and an activist, a worker for the rights of marijuana growers, consumers and user in his country. In the end, he didn’t even charge me the cab fare and gave me a bud of Moby Dick. We ended up drinking a beer together. I now have a friend for life in that city.
On another occasion, I was also a little reckless in my attempt to find marijuana flowers. I ended up in the slums of another big city at night, alone, surrounded by strangers, just to get, inside a trash bag, some of the worst herb that I’ve ever seen. They called it “Paraguayo” [Paraguayan]– a mix of marijuana leaves, mould, seeds, dirt and pebbles, as hard as a rock and with an indescribable smell and taste. Avoid “Paraguayo” at all costs! I think it’s the worst thing I’ve seen anybody smoke in my life. And I suggest that you never do as I did. Nothing bad happened to me but it wasn’t the safest place in the world.
In European cities, it’s relatively easy to find something to smoke: Moroccan hash, more or less decent herb, etc. University students are your friends for finding something to smoke in these cities. If you need buds, ask them and they’ll certainly be happy to help you find something in exchange for some beer and a couple of drags – it never fails.
In Holland, the old coffee shops are still around with dozens of varieties of herb and hash to choose from, and in Denmark, we’ll always have Christiana and its “Pusher Street” (Christiana does not belong to the European Union, although you don’t have to carry your passport there). I love Christiana! There’s a good atmosphere, harmony and peace on its streets. In Barcelona, cannabis clubs also do their job. I recommend you join one if you visit this city regularly.
When you travel, don’t take any risk. Inform yourself about local laws and the consequences of using marijuana wherever you are. Think that it’s ok if you don’t smoke for a couple days. It’s good for your health. And above all, after a couple of days without smoking, the first joint will feel and taste better than ever. Cheers!