Buju Banton Says Original Ganja Farmers Outshine Cannabis Dispensaries: “The Herb For Profit Don’t Inspire”

Buju Banton has expressed his preference for smoking ganja cultivated by traditional farmers over dispensary cannabis, as he believes commercially-grown marijuana lacks the ability to provide inspiration to users, unlike the ones grown in open fields.

“Now that the stigma has somehow died down as it concerns marijuana in my country, I would like to tell myself, and with the advent of these marijuana shops popping up… what I’ve seen since I’ve gotten out is the abundance of herb dispensaries that sells good quality herb, but I man, I still don’t do commercial herb,” Buju said during his recent Revolt TV Drink Champs podcast interview.

“I want my herb from the field, to my home. I don’t want a miggle guy. You know what I mean? The herb for profit don’t inspire,” he added.

Buju also reflected on the strength of ganja strains cultivated in the ground by Jamaica’s traditional farmers, highlighting Indica, Purple Skunk, and Purple Haze, noting that one spliff would last the user for an entire day, compared to the less-potent ones being commercially grown.

“They grew up from the sun, and them don’t grow tall… Remember in those days, you used to smoke one joint all day? You know how much I saw you smoke since I started?” he asked co-host N.O.R.E.

“Back in those days, they smoked one joint for one day, man. And it just keep out, you keep lighting it back, and yuh just feel nice. They have commercialized the herb so much that even the potency has been reduced,” he lamented.

Buju’s views are almost similar to that of his compatriot Sean Paul, who in batting for original ganja farmers in an October 2021 interview, made it clear that he was not a fan of the cannabis being sold in dispensaries.

Sean Paul had opined that dispensary weed is way below the caliber of the world-reknowned cannabis cultivated by original weed farmers in rural Jamaica.

During an interview with The Independent back then, Sean Paul had said that while legal cannabis dispensaries were a positive development, he found their ganja unappealing and not good for smoking, and tasting like cardboard.

“For me, dispensaries are a good thing… but almost all their weed tastes like cardboard,” the St. Andrew native had said.

The Wolmer’s High School old boy, who is reknown for songs which unapologetically praise and glorify ganja had also advocated for the original ganja farmers, whom he says are being forced out of the trade by irresponsible politicians.

In an earlier interview with cannabis magazine High Times, Sean Paul had credited ganja with sparking his creativity when writing songs, noting that the weed puts him in a “euphoric” as well as positive mood.

“That’s what I like about it—pot is a very creative substance. Even when I sang the song, ‘Gimme the Light,’ I can say that it helped me out a lot..,” he had told High Times.

Sean Paul’s concerns about the quality of dispensary ganja echo the views of Atlanta-based cannabis expert James Burr.

In 2019, Burr had told The Gleaner that traditional Jamaican ganja from Rastafarian farmers outperforms international cannabis brands, despite their high-profile marketing and prime locations.

Burr had also said that the quality of ganja grown in open fields by these farmers surpasses that of dispensary products in terms of aroma, smoking pleasure, and potency.

Burr, a principal at Enlightened Development and Enlightened Cannabis, had praised the Rastafarian community for maintaining exceptional ganja quality, noting that their expertise, honed over decades, was highly valuable to scientists and cannabis experts worldwide.

He had also pointed out that hands-on experience with the plants gives Rasta farmers a deep understanding of cannabis and was comparable to advanced degrees in cannabis science.

Burr also pointed out that low-quality ganja in dispensaries has been a well-known issue, citing similar problems with early dispensaries in Los Angeles. He had also urged Jamaica’s Ministry of Agriculture to enforce quality standards for dispensaries to uphold the island’s reputation as a premier ganja destination.

Burr had also stressed that freshness is crucial, as ganja degrades quickly in Jamaica’s environment, and maintaining quality, sustainability, and responsibility is essential for the global market.