Cabo San Lucas is found where the Sea of Cortez meets the Pacific Ocean on the southern tip of Baja California Sur, Mexico.

Like much of the Southern Baja peninsula, Cabo is subtropical, where the desert meets the sea. And though the weather is warm year-round, the spring and summer months can reach temperatures well into the 40s °C (100s °F), with the threat of hurricanes towards the end of summer into fall.

But, no matter the weather, the good news is, your tribe is already there. For the past ten years I’ve been traveling, embedding myself into our global cannabis communities, and one thing is clear, the spirit of the plant brings us together. Whether you are mystical, pegan or pious, the plant crosses every line, border, color and culture in the world.

Called Aspen on the beach, Cabo boasts some of the finest ocean front hotels and spas in the world, with celebrities and millionaires alike arriving on yachts and cruise ships from all points on the map, filling up it’s bay and tiny marina.

Also called the Mexican Riviera, its high end mall, Luxury Avenue, located near the marina, hosts Gucci, Chanel, and Givenchy (to name a few); but is found just blocks away from the more traditional tourista neighborhoods still offering up Mexican handmade goods and souvenirs.

Not too worry if you don’t have a yacht or home within one of Cabo’s many gated communities, for there are really two Cabo’s, with rooms still to be let for 33.16£ ($40 US) a night, affordable AirBnBs, public beaches (where hotels have not yet been built), and cheap food options via local cafes and street vendors.

I’ve long said, when traveling, it depends on your economic status as to what kind of experience you’ll have, with two worlds to be witnessed in every city, no matter if you have a champagne or a beer budget (or weed in your back pocket).

 

 

Green for Green

My trip was sponsored by the Cabo Cannabis Company, celebrating its one year anniversary of having a retail shop near the marina.

Whenever I travel into a cannabis community, I’m always curious as to just how much we can do out in the open, and Cabo didn’t disappoint.

As owner, Grace Elisea, informed, everything is 420 friendly if you have money (see Grace’s profile in Women of Weed World, this issue). It’s no different in the US, the UK, or Mexico. 420 events thrive in private properties around the world, with the owners consent and the tolerance of neighbors. This is especially true where ordinances are lagging.

The people and the plant prevail, because you can’t stop the healing that follows. The people are already doing the healing, ahead of legislators being educated and before any just laws are written for the people about a plant that heals.

 

My first night in Cabo, Grace and team took me to Sancho’s to meet the tribe on the waterfront overlooking that sea of yachts mentioned prior. It’s a welcoming and laid back local’s hangout restaurant/bar, where my hosts set up a dab bar in full view on the patio.

Local singer/songwriter Angie Vertti serenaded the first night of the company’s week long of anniversary celebrations, wearing a cannabis leaf print dress, shouting out 420 greetings to the crowd.

Owned by Margo Marek, an Expat from Texas, no less, Sancho’s had Teaxans in the house partaking out front. The message being, if you are from a conservative region of the world where cannabis use is misunderstood or silenced, and are looking for a progressive hang out in Cabo with great comfort food and exceptionally loaded craft shots, Sancho’s is where your tribe is welcome.

As a cannabis patient, it’s always a gift to medicate out in the open. Otherwise, I’d be out back by the trash cans smoking to compensate for the alcohol, as I’m not a big drinker. One or two at best, then I need to smoke. I can keep up with the smokers, but not with the drinkers.

 

 

Cabo High End

Cannabidiol or CBD, has been legal in Mexico since 2017, and is readily available in many markets throughout every state. I flew into Cabo from Tijuana (domestic flight) with CBD tincture and salve in my bag. I also had a vape pen tucked into my camera bag with THC, in a don’t ask, don’t tell move – with no issues.

The Cabo Cannabis Company specializes in CBD products, homemade edibles, and has a popcorn vending machine in the shop serving up warm, CBD infused popcorn to Cabo tourists and locals alike. You can also buy local hand blown glass pieces, and find a wide variety of smoking accessories and novelty items.

You can even order a CBD cocktail by the pool at the exclusive Grand Velas resort hotel, said to be frequented by American Actress Jennifer Aniston.

Grand Velas cocktails include Tiki Velas, served in a classic Tiki mug, with pear puree, ancho chili liqueur, and drops of CBD tincture; or Coco Brujo, with mint water, lemon juice, agave gin, and drops of CBD tincture.

Jennifer is also said to be a devoted partaker of the plant, but that’s for another story. I can’t help but wonder, though, if she might have had something to do with CBD at the bar.

Salvatore G’s is said to be the best Italian restaurant in Cabo, and I must agree. Flavorful, traditional menu, with huge portions large enough to share or take some home for later. Our large group took up much of the upstairs patio, with our dab rigs fully laid out once again on the table.

Note: As of this writing, Mexico has banned tobacco smoking in public places, based on the science of secondhand smoke known to cause cancer. And though it’s become common to see partaking of the plant in public places in Mexico, we don’t yet know if the public smoking of cannabis will be included. Important to note, Mexico is known for its lack of enforcement of its own rules. The rule of thumb is, know your surroundings, ask permission, and be respectful of those around you. Like Willie Nelson says, “Don’t be an asshole.”

 

420 Cabo Adventures

Water and sun are a given in Cabo, and my first day was spent on the popular public, safe swimming spot of Medano Beach, located just east of the harbor. There, a dab bar and rolling station was set up under a sea of umbrellas, where we medicated freely.

Medano hosts several restaurant/bars right on the beach, with kayaks, wave runners, and stand-up paddle surf boards to let.

 

The second day, the company chartered a boat from La Isla Tour for a sunset cruise around the Arches, where, again, a medicating station was set-up and enjoyed by all. La Isla has a variety of party boats in many sizes, small or large, all set-up for socializing with full bar and catering options.

Homemade Sangria was prepared by Cabo Cannabis Company teammate, Hugo “Primo” Aranza. We took the delicious mix to the Santa Rita Hot Springs, where the team enjoyed a trippy day of dabs and psilocybin mushrooms in the pools. (See my Reels for recipe on Instagram @sharoneletts)

The hot springs are about two hours from Cabo central, but worth the trek and the short hike into the pools, that are 420 friendly. Our swim-up medicating station was situated that day on a rock in the middle of the springs.

A second day on the water was spent on a bay cruise with a hangout at Lover’s Beach, on the other side of the Arches, only accessed by boat. There, we set out anchor, with many diving from the top deck into the beautiful, clear blue water, hanging out on a floating mat near the boat, or taking a short swim to the beach.

Again, a dab bar was laid out on a table, and we did not want for lack of medicating. Edibles provided by the Cabo Cannabis Company were also enjoyed, as were infused and non-infused snacks and food from a variety of makers, including Grace, who caters infused foods to lucky Cabo clients.

One very special night was enjoyed in the private home of a patient Grace cooks for, Nicole Rudgren and her brother Chuck Renick. This fully loaded home’s sliding glass wall opens up to a spectacular view of the ocean, with a pool and hot tub. The five bedroom multi-level home that sleeps up to 10, can be found on Airbnb (see guide below) and is 420 friendly, complete with a pool table and a converted stone-walled wine cellar, turned cannabis cave.

Dinner was catered by Private Chef Los Cabos & Travel Services, with Chef Diego Hernandez in charge of a five star stoner spread of finger foods to be envied. A cannabis infused Spanish sauce was prepared by Cabo Cannabis Company’s Alan Santiago Martinez for street vendor-style tacos.

 

 

Little Doses for Big Pleasure

All throughout the week long festivities in celebrating the Cabo Cannabis Company’s one year anniversary, a variety of non-toxic, experience enhancing substances were enjoyed by many.

The goal of the week was for the employees in Cabo and its associates from various parts of Mexico to enjoy each other away from the tasks of work. And there is no better way for a cannabis tribe to bond than microdosing with psilocybin mushrooms, MDMA, and acid. All purposefully dosed on certain days, for certain activities.

Most assume when using psychoactive substances, the subject will be hallucinating with the intent of having a life-changing experience, or what’s known as “ego death,” wherein you attempt to make real changes in your life by resetting your mind.

This isn’t so with microdosing. I call a .5 or a 1 gram dose of mushrooms a giggle dose, as it raises endorphins and creates dopamine in the brain, much in the same way as cannabis does when smoking a terpene-rich cultivar. The difference is, the lift with mushrooms, for example, lasts longer, is more sustained, and has been well documented that the lift can last weeks, if not months – without repeated daily dosing, and little to no negative side effects reported.

Dosing with psychoactive and beneficial compounds is purposeful, as the serious and educated partaker will set intentions first. Setting intensions is aligned with positive affirmations or positive thinking, directing your experience to your wants or needs.

For instance, on the day we visited the hot springs, a group microsed with MDMA, otherwise known as Ecstasy or Molly – a empathogen/entactogen stimulant, that enhances emotions and touch; giving the partaker a general overall feeling of well being and happiness.

Why do I give this particular part of the trip so much consideration? Because you do not have to be a Weed Traveler to take a trip in your mind. And each trip we take, either with out tribe or alone, is an adventure in itself.

Many thanks to Grace, her husband, Jesus, and the entire Cabo Cannabis Company tribe for making me feel a part of the magic you have in your beautiful community. Blessings to the Cabo tribe. May the tribe that we know is within the Cartel soften to the possibility of having a peaceful life together, supporting each other and the plant.

 

Cabo 420 Guide

 

Follow the Cabo Cannabis Company on Facebook & Instagram @cabocannabisco

Grand Velas, CBD Cocktails https://loscabos.grandvelas.com/

Follow Sancho’s on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/sanchoscabo/?locale=es_LA

Villa del Norte Airbnb https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/42539611?guests=1&adults=1&s=67&unique_share_id=e23892f5-b323-4eca-86b7-9ec61bd4c5d2

Private Chef Los Cabos/Diego Hernandez www.privatechefloscabos.com

La Isla Tour Cabo, catamaran tours https://laislatour.mx/

Santa Rita Hot Springs https://www.quiviraloscabos.com/blog/santa-rita-hot-springs-a-hidden-sanctuary

Salvatore G’s (Italian Restaurant) https://salvatoregs.com/

 

Written and Published By Sharon Letts in Weed World Magazine Issue 163

 

Curb Cash, The Cartel & The failed War on Drugs, By Sharon Letts

Am I nervous as a cannabis tourists in Mexico? I grew up coming to Baja in the 1960s, as a child with my family, from Southern California, and have lived in the northern part of the Baja peninsula going on eight years now.

I’ve witnessed tolerance of the plat, and have heard stories of persecution. But, no, I’ve never felt afraid to partake in my second home country.

If I were to be arrested or detained, it would become part of my advocacy for the plant, as I’m a public person and my story is known, globally. The story told of my persecution would have to include my personal stories of healing, including how cannabis put breast cancer into remission. Yes, please arrest me, as the story needs a wider audience.

The plant’s use is tolerated and has been understood as medicine for generations in Mexico, with Mexico’s Supreme Court decriminalizing the recreational use of cannabis for adult use on June 29, 2021, allowing those 18 and over to possess up to 28 grams of cannabis, and grow up to six plants on private property.

Just as in the US, each state in Mexico is responsible for drafting and implementing their own ordinances – something many are dragging their feet on, and why the Supreme Court took it upon themselves to decriminalize, stating they were doing so because the legislators “weren’t doing their job,” still playing politics with the plant.

While waiting for clarification on farming, manufacturing and distribution, local policia still follow the old ways of asking for curb cash. They’d rather the populace believe it’s still illegal than lose the historically illegal subsidy.

And then there’s the Cartel and all that implies regarding local control of illicit drug sales – but I don’t fault them. The U.S. began the failed Drug War that created the Cartel and every other criminal faction of distribution. It’s why in 2009, Mexico decriminalized the use of all drugs, denoting small amounts for personal use; encouraging rehabilitation rather than incarceration. The global mainstream media didn’t report on Mexico’s decriminalization; they did report on the violence that ensued out of retaliation.

But what is the Cartel, really? Organized crime likened to the Italian Mafia; the Nigerians selling hash and weed on the steps of the Sacre Coure in Paris, France; or the gangsters up in the hills of Northern California, protecting their crops with guns and paying women extra to trim topless. The failed Drug War spawned and feeds it all.

The prohibition of alcohol lasted a mere 13 years, from 1920 to 1933, with the Great Depression of 1929 causing then President Rosevelt to end the debacle for the tax revenue it provided. Money, not “what about the children” ended that prohibition. The experience taught us that prohibition doesn’t work and actually creates criminals where there were none, while inspiring an unregulated and violent market.

What the Cartel doesn’t get regarding cannabis is, there’s enough demand for everyone to supply and succeed, with no reason to strong arm anyone to get the best spot on the corner. Before the legislation began regulating the cannabis market, there were no distribution issues within the largely unregulated medical market. Farmers were paid a living wage for their crops, distributors made a decent cut, and supply and demand was met.

Humans will self-medicate to feel better. This is not a criminal act. Better than what is no one’s business. Providing education on harm reduction is everything, and plant-based remedies have been proven to be successful in replacing harmful substances (see Weed World, Greener Pastures, PAT: Plant Assisted Therapy in addiction recovery).

The problems in Mexico with organized crime and cannabis are the same globally. Until the U.S. fesses up, admits the plant is medicinal, ignorance of the truth will continue to prevail.

Written and Published By Sharon Letts in Weed World Magazine Issue 163