The Cannabis Cup

Come November of each year, thousands descend upon Jamaica, in the city of Negril, to attend the world's pre-eminent marijuana festival, the High Times Cannabis Cup.

An American writer, by the name of Steven Hager, activist, and strong proponent for the legalization of marijuana founded the festival back in 1987. According to Hager, the conception of the event is for a harvest celebration that promotes the personal cultivation and use of Cannabis. Amsterdam was originally announced as the host city, which was an obvious choice thanks to its liberal drug laws.

For those travelers interested in attending, a Cannabis Cup pass includes entry to the expo for the duration of the festival along with admission to all seminars, concerts, ceremonies and a free shuttle from your hotel to all Cannabis Cup-related activities. You also get a gift bag, a special Cannabis Cup T-shirt and program guide outlining the schedule of events.

The core of the Cannabis Cup is the Expo, which basically in aspect, is just like a business or trade convention but crossed with a gamers convention and a summer open field concert. They hold cultivation seminars, booths for showcase and sales of smoking paraphernalia, food stalls, and live music performance. Some famous celebrities actually grace this event and participate, such as Snoop Dogg, who has attended the festival in recent years. And festival activities are not limited to the Expo, as various side excursions are offered by several hotels and resorts in Negril.

The festival expanded internationally in recent years to the areas in the United States wherein marijuana use has been legalized. Initially, in the form of the High Times Medical Cannabis Cup, and then as simply, the High Times Cannabis Cup. The first event took place in San Francisco back in 2010, then in Los Angeles, Denver, Seattle and Portland.