Cannabis curiosity at the Cannabis Expo

Cannabis curiosity sunk in and my husband and I blazed over to the Cannabis Expo at Sibaya Casino last weekend.

We were greeted by teens snapping selfies with a gigantic cannabis leaf and tiny girls wearing even tinier shorts and bikini tops covered in canna body paint…it seems even something as provocative as a cannabis expo relies on the good old ‘sex sells’ tactic.

Before we went any further, coffee was necessary. Cannachinos as it turned out was the drink of choice with the barista telling me with great excitement that the coffee contains 10mg CBD. OK then.

Fancy cannacoffee (at a hefty R35) in hand, we dived into a world of stalls selling anything from canna bath salts to hemp doggy treats – supposed to sooth old Butch’s aching hips.

The indoor growing kits were quite fancy and were sold in different sizes so that you could even grow your stash in your cupboard.

The only thing the kit does not come with are the seeds – not a problem according to the young stall holder who explains that you can “simply order them online and they will be delivered to your home”. Good to know.

A big crowd gathered around the stage, multiple cellphones held up in the air in video mode focusing on a hipster wearing a colourful cotton weaved shirt. Curious, we stepped closer.

The man was a purist, as it turns out, and called for the importance of using cannabis (or should we just get real and call it dagga) in its natural form, warning against the potential dangers of commercialising the magic leaf and adding chemicals to it. Keep it real man.

Looking around people from all walks of life were listening – from a woman pushing a man in a wheelchair looking for the wonder healing cannabis oil to a group of rastas complete with dreadlocks and that Snoopdog high-and-loving-it vibe.

Next up on stage was Travis Bailey from the Eastern Cape. He pleaded for the inclusion of small-scale farmers in “the green rush” saying that this could be an incredible upliftment project if done correctly.

“We would like to see an industry that is based on fair trade principles, job creation, local beneficiation and partnerships between the community and the private sector to start this new industry on a good footing.”

This seemed to be the overall sentiment – keep the leaf natural and out of the hands of the corporate.

Whether you agree with it or not, cannabis is the next booming industry and you might discover that life with the greens is pretty good, medicinally speaking of course.

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