In Port Antonio, everybody had a cousin who grew world-class ganja in the bush. Ganja was virtually free. Everyone had a stash. The herb from the Blue Mountains, grown in the same climate and elevation that produces the legendary coffee, had the reputation of being the best.
Category Archives: Connoisseur’s Guide to the Dope Scene along the Gringo Trail
Panama Red, Sal Si Puedes, Panama City
Buying weed in the back alleys of Panama City is not for the faint hearted. But the fabled Panama Red, one of the first ‘name brands’ of dope, beckoned. So the first thing you do in Panama City is look to score.
Bush Weed – West End, Roatan
All my new-found friends around West End had copious amounts of dope and kept me well supplied with big fat reefers, didn’t even want any money. Where did they get it? “Mon, I grow it” said Michael. “We all do. I’ll take you tomorrow to see.”
Spears across the border
It was too good a deal to pass up. I had met two American gringos, clean-cut types actually, at the zocolo and they had a problem. They were due to leave San Cristobal de las Casas in the morning and said they had a quarter pound of marijuana they didn’t get a chance to smoke. Could I help them out?
Oaxacan Spears – San Cristobal Las Casas, Chiapas
I had to ride up into to the highlands of Chiapas to track down the fabled Oaxacan Spears. The spears are entire flower tops, or collas, maybe 8 – 10 inches long and as thick as a sausage. Kind of like giant Thai sticks. The color can vary between green (fresher) through light brown (cured). Each spear would weigh in at around 10 – 20 grams. These were the real deal.
Magic Mushrooms – Palenque, Chiapas
Magic Mushrooms (Psilocybe cubensis) thrive in the lush pastures around Palenque. Creole cattle graze the rich grasses and transform the fodder into nutrient-rich soft, squishy manure. Every morning, especially after a rain, a fresh crop of Magic Mushrooms blooms out of the shit.
Mayan Green – Tulum, Quintana Roo, Mexico
The dope improved markedly across the Yucatan Channel on the beaches of Quintana Roo. Fresh green, sticky buds, very potent. Highly aromatic with a sweet, almost fruity smell. You could squeeze the bud between your fingers and it would stick to your thumb due to the resins in the hairs. Nice.
‘Lumbian Mersh, Mexican Shake and Homegrown
Lumbian mersh’ (dealer-speak for Commercial Grade Colombia dope) started to hit US streets around 1973. Mersh was a big improvement over the harsh Mexican shake that defined the late 60s pot scene. Domestic cannabis production was just starting to take off. But if you wanted good dope, and plenty of it, you had to head south.
Seaweed – Key West, Florida
Key West was a doper’s paradise in 1975. Celebrated in song by Jimmy Buffet (load that last ton), pot smoke would waft down Simonton every night and joints would be surreptitiously passed around down by the shrimp dock. Weed was everywhere.
Blue Mountain Ganja – Port Antonio, Jamaica
There’s an almost mystical aspect when you are smoking a big fat spliff of powerful Jamaican Ganja with a dread-locked Rastaman in his hidden jungle retreat. “Psst, hey mon! You smoke herb?” I looked around couldn’t see anyone… the jungle came right up to the road. “Over here”. I saw his face, framed by massive dreads, with a big smile of flashing white teeth.
Around the Caribbean by Bike, Thumb and Sail 