The joy of finding weed abroad

Holidays are better with grass.

Few things feel quite as magical as standing on the sands of foreign lands and staring at the bluest waters with a leaflet full of “Boy, What’s That, and Where’d You Find It?”

That’s exactly why the first thought when stepping off a plane is probably “bet. But where is it?!” Unfortunately, sometimes when traveling, finding that answer can seem like a near-impossible mission.

Find high-quality cannabis and make contacts abroad

It’s pretty damn hard to find weed internationally as it’s not like the US where 23 states and counties have legal cannabis for adult use. Here, it’s easy to post an Instagram story and ask, “Anyone know where I can get buds in *insert city here*?” and have a buddy connect you moments later.

Abroad you are on your own to find buds using an eye or smell test. Eye testing involves looking at someone and stereotyping them as someone who smokes weed. The smell test consists of smelling weed in the air and following the smell to the source – like Tom and Jerry sniffing out freshly baked pies.

Gina Coleman/Weedmaps

I smoked weed in Germany, Croatia and Monaco. I got lucky in Monaco and a local friend knew someone who brought us a bag of weed. The same friend helped in Croatia. In Germany, however, I was on a press trip with some buddies. The hosts should have had weed for us, but didn’t – we were alone. We were a group of people who were used to smoking all day, every day, and when we didn’t have it we got a little anxious, restless and, to be honest, fiendish.

We ended up in a pub drinking beer (disgusting man) and a guy with dreadlocks walked in. Being a dreadlocked guy myself, I already knew the stereotype that’s been ascribed to us, and I knew it was up to me to find out what was going on – the eye test at work. I asked the guy if he knew where we might be able to get some weed, and you know what? He certainly did.

In fact he had some in his pocket and said he would go out and smoke with us. A new friend was found immediately. He also said he had a connection with us days later and we said, “Bet.” Ultimately his connection fell through, but the homie burned some of his personal stash on us. Made a journey.

There’s something so beautiful about smoking weed where it shouldn’t be. Weed is now legal in Germany, but there aren’t as many pharmacies as in California and Washington. Weed is so illegal in Monaco that when me and a mate smoked on a walk, a woman told us that we could be in a lot of trouble and that we needed to relax. It is also illegal in Croatia. So lighting up some cannabis in all of these places eased that same itch that used to be aroused when you had to hunt down weed at 10am in search of weed and meet some random person in a Walmart parking lot.

Gina Coleman/Weedmaps

Getting high unlocks a specific access to feelings and emotions that can only be understood by people who participate. No matter how much I appreciated the seemingly once-in-a-lifetime experiences, when I was kicking back off the weed and feeling high and relaxed, it was easier for me to be present and not think about any worries in the world. this was my moment This was our moment. Let’s bask in blessings that many people who look like me or who were raised like me have never experienced and may never experience. It’s hard to understand when you’re constantly looking and wondering who got it, where, and when.

But when do you finally stop worrying about it? Oooohweeee.

Besides the joy of securing the bag (of weed), there is also a certain joy of seeing how and what people smoke in foreign countries. In the States you can afford to be snooty about the weed because there’s a store right down the street that has a fire. Across the water, man, you take what you can get — and be sure to thank the universe for the experience. So the quality isn’t the best and the selection isn’t that big, but that’s what’s interesting about it.

In Germany I had no idea what we smoked. In Monaco and Croatia, however, Jack Herer was definitely in the bag. I’m not the biggest fan of Jack and as soon as the super awake wakefulness hit my body I knew by smell, taste and feel that I was dealing with an old school Jack. Even though I don’t like this strain, it put a big smile on my face. As I recognized the specific variety, I felt a connection to the rocks of the land I was in. I went on a trip – again. After all, finding weed in a foreign land is hard as hell. But when you do, it brings with it a certain kind of “if you know, then you know” kind of happiness that just won’t exist if you can’t find it. Every beautiful moment will have that “Damn, I wish I had some weed” thought in the back of their minds. Why? Well, it’s like Wiz Khalifa said on Up, “Because everything’s better when you’re high.” Especially new experiences in new worlds.