Of course I am familiar with Lina Btitto. She recently published that book. With all due respect, honestly Im surprised you took the time to even write that non-sense down. That Cannabis came to Colombia from Jamaica is laughableThere is a book out called "Marijuana Boom" by a historian named Lina Britto. She is originally from Colombia and has relatives in the Santa Marta area. She did many interviews with people who were in the business and local officials and she laid it out like this. Colombia didn't have much of a a marijuana culture to speak of. Marijuana was brought to Colombia from Jamaica in the 20's by United Fruit banana plantation workers and it's use didn't really spread to the Colombian population because middle class Colombians looked down on it. Nonetheless the plant did take root and by the 60's there were about five different distinct varieties including a gold variety. In the early 70's American smugglers brought Mexican and Hawaiian seeds and "agronomists" to Colombia and they crossed them with the local gold and began marketing them as Colombian Gold in the US. The original gold variety was had an outstanding high before the breeding but they wanted to increase the yield with the Sonora Mexican genetics and improve the taste with the Hawaiian. The outcome was commercial Colombian in the late 70's / early 80's and it had a great high. It was like being wrapped in a warm comfy blanket of happy. I smoke it from '76 through the 80's and like Yesum said it had a very distinct taste and smell. People have described it as "sandalwood". The CIA estimated that 85% of the weed coming into the US around 1980 was Colombian. Later on things came from many different Central American and Caribbean countries. By the mid 80's they said Belize was the fourth largest supplier to the US behind Mexico, Colombia and Jamaica. But I never heard anyone offering fine Belize Breeze back then. I was just in Belize a couple of months ago and you can still get a fine locally grown sativa that was compressed and cured the old way. At least it smelled and tasted similar to the old stuff. I grew bagseed outdoors for a decade or so before I switched over to growing hybrids in the late 80's. I always missed that great Colombian high and a couple of years ago I came across a guy who had collected seed in the 60's 70's and 80's and I bought what he had. He was in the business and helped dealer friends break up their loads from bales, so he had access to a huge variety of weed. Of the first 72 seeds I sprouted only a couple were duplicate varieties. One is very special to me. It is one of the old commercial Colombian varieties and has the same taste and high as the old stuff. That sandalwood flavor is not from the cure, it's in the genetics.
As far as the introduction of Mexican, Hawaiian and possibly Martian seed being introduced to Colombia in the 70's well, its quite possible but if you knew anything about biology, botany and population genetics you'd know that those introduced seeds on the whole, as far as the native populations are concerned MEAN JACK DIDDLY SQUAT.
I find terribly annoying how these armchair historians who have never even been to this country are always trying to rewrite its history (for what reason, I don't know) nevermind the fact that its likely they've never grown, processed, trafficked in the plant in question. They read 'books'. I'd LOVE to atleast see your homegrown Colombian Gold which is highly unlikely.
Also I think its highly unethical and detrimental that people spread what are basically unproven, needle in a haystack theories if not just outright lies about Colombias Cannabis history.
Maybe IC Mag should set up a 'Crazy, unproven theories in Cannabis History' sub-forum where people that believe this nonsense can post.
Im surprised you took the time to write all this nonsense down.There is a book out called "Marijuana Boom" by a historian named Lina Britto. She is originally from Colombia and has relatives in the Santa Marta area. She did many interviews with people who were in the business and local officials and she laid it out like this. Colombia didn't have much of a a marijuana culture to speak of. Marijuana was brought to Colombia from Jamaica in the 20's by United Fruit banana plantation workers and it's use didn't really spread to the Colombian population because middle class Colombians looked down on it. Nonetheless the plant did take root and by the 60's there were about five different distinct varieties including a gold variety. In the early 70's American smugglers brought Mexican and Hawaiian seeds and "agronomists" to Colombia and they crossed them with the local gold and began marketing them as Colombian Gold in the US. The original gold variety was had an outstanding high before the breeding but they wanted to increase the yield with the Sonora Mexican genetics and improve the taste with the Hawaiian. The outcome was commercial Colombian in the late 70's / early 80's and it had a great high. It was like being wrapped in a warm comfy blanket of happy. I smoke it from '76 through the 80's and like Yesum said it had a very distinct taste and smell. People have described it as "sandalwood". The CIA estimated that 85% of the weed coming into the US around 1980 was Colombian. Later on things came from many different Central American and Caribbean countries. By the mid 80's they said Belize was the fourth largest supplier to the US behind Mexico, Colombia and Jamaica. But I never heard anyone offering fine Belize Breeze back then. I was just in Belize a couple of months ago and you can still get a fine locally grown sativa that was compressed and cured the old way. At least it smelled and tasted similar to the old stuff. I grew bagseed outdoors for a decade or so before I switched over to growing hybrids in the late 80's. I always missed that great Colombian high and a couple of years ago I came across a guy who had collected seed in the 60's 70's and 80's and I bought what he had. He was in the business and helped dealer friends break up their loads from bales, so he had access to a huge variety of weed. Of the first 72 seeds I sprouted only a couple were duplicate varieties. One is very special to me. It is one of the old commercial Colombian varieties and has the same taste and high as the old stuff. That sandalwood flavor is not from the cure, it's in the genetics.
That Cannabis came to Colombia from Jamaica is abdolutely laughable.