From getting a medical card to maximizing your munchies, a weed-forward guide to La Isla del Encanto.
Driving to my hotel in San Juan on a late trip to Puerto Rico , I was surprised to see a large marijuana dispensary on the niche before its entering with a sign touting it issued tourist aesculapian marijuana wit on the topographic point . As a cannabis enthusiast , I was rum about what a aesculapian touristry circuit board was and if I could rapidly get one .
wrench out , it was ridiculously easy . amateur cannabis is still “ technically ” a no - go inPuerto Rico . Still , when it come to aesculapian cannabis , the soil has the most lenient laws in the US , offering American visitant leisurely entree to temporary aesculapian marijuana cards and reciprocity with medical carte du jour holders from any US country at the 200 - plus dispensaries ( about 6.25 dispensaries per 100,000 people ) across the island .
How to get a tourist medical marijuana card
TheGreen Cross Dispensary , which advertised the tourist medical marijuana cards across from the Hilton hotel where I was staying , is not trying to be discreet . A giant neon green cannabis sign hangs over its storefront which sit down on a main route between Condado Beach and Old San Juan .
Walking in , I ’m impressed by the professional reception area , which is nice thansome of the dispensariesin my home country of Colorado . I assure the receptionist I ’m concerned in learning about the tourism medical card promote on the front door and that I have a Colorado medical marijuana card .
She tells me that Puerto Rico offers reciprocity for cardholders in the US state that bring out them , and I can simply show my scorecard and driver ’s permit to purchase pabulum and vapes on the spot . But to purchase bloom , I postulate to elevate to the temporary tourer card , which is good for 30 days . The process call for you to fill out two forms , cost $ 40 , and hold about 10 moment . Afterward , you could shop to your substance ’s content .
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Even if I did n’t have a medical circuit board , I could still legally get gamey in Puerto Rico by applying for the $ 40 tourism medical marijuana card at the dispensary . All you need is to be over 21 , have a valid US machine driver ’s licence , and do a quick online consultation to determine if you have one of the qualifying medical condition ( anxiousness , insomnia , megrim , arthritis , chronic pain , and posttraumatic stress disorder are just a few ) to use marihuana medically . The receptionist also tells me that the fee would be refund if I spent $ 140 at the dispensary .
Green Cross is one of many dispensary offering this same - day tourism card appendage . intrigue , I call a few other dispensary and ask about take the air - in appointments for touristry card . Frontiers Medical Cannabis & Wellness Center , which has three dispensaries in Puerto Rico , charges $ 50 for the permit and also allow walk - ins .
If you want everything done before you get in , you may utilize online through site likeIsland Med . Besides facilitate the issuance of cards , Island Med also offers a deliverance serving from over 100 dispensaries through its app .
Green Cross Dispensary in San Juan, Puerto Rico|GreenCross.pr/Facebook
How much does weed cost in Puerto Rico?
I was impressed with the Mary Leontyne Price and the selection of the sens available in Puerto Rico . Green Cross had nine prime strains , cover the sativa to indica spectrum and range from a Sour Trop to Mac Punch , on hand . One gram cost $ 8 . The workshop also had melody - specific vape cartridges that cost $ 25 for a one-half Hans C. J. Gram and $ 50 for a g . pabulum ranged in strength from a walloping 100 mg of THC for $ 15 to a low ( but still super strong ) 25 atomic number 12 of THC for $ 8 . All Mary Leontyne Price include taxation .
Cannabis-friendly hotels and vacation rentals in Puerto Rico
Cocqui del Mar Gay Hotelin San Juan is currently the only explicitly cannabis - favorable hotel on the island . This LGBTQIA - friendly , wearable - optional client home allows cannabis use of goods and services in designate outside areas . The hotel also partner with Island Med and encourages visitor to use 48 hours before arriving .
There are also a fistful of holiday home rental that are 420 - favorable . To discover these , check with a engagement internet site likeBud and Breakfast , which highlight spots like La Posada Mountain Retreat in Utuado . Other place may not advertise cannabis use , but if you are smoke outside in a designate smoke surface area , you likely do n’t have a problem , as aesculapian cannabis can be down in secret places .
frankly , you ’ll smell skunk all over the shoes in Puerto Rico — both on the street of San Juan and on the island ’s many beach . Of course , discreetness is still the secure drill . Puerto Rican police force prohibits the public using up of aesculapian cannabis . If you ’re caught smoking aesculapian cannabis in public , you could face fines . How much you are fined varies and is normally at the officer ’s discretion . Be certain to deport your card with you , as amateur cannabis use is still a felony in Puerto Rico and can lead to fines or even jailhouse time .
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What to do while stoned in Puerto Rico
On a moonless Nox , slicing a kayak paddlethrough the quiet bioluminescent water in Mosquito Bayon Puerto Rico ’s Vieques Island make a glowing greenish electric blue trail so trippy it takes me to another world . Yes , I got stoned before doing this dark kayak trip , and the weed sure enhances the experience , but even if you are n’t high , the effect of the trillion of microorganism that glow in this bay is a magical pot to lay eyes on .
Puerto Rico is home to three of the world ’s five bioluminescent bay . Mosquito Bay on tiny Vieques is the brightest of the three , but it also command the most seek to get to ( you will have to expend the night on this pocket-sized island approachable by ferrying or flight ) and has the hard-and-fast protections ( no swimming ! ) . For a mellow experience that wo n’t kill your bombilation , check out Laguna Grande near Fajardo on the furrowed east coast . Lajas in the sou'-west area is another option but has more light pollution and few glowing micro-organism .
Besides bio bay kayaking , Puerto Rico offer many activitiesenhanced by weed . Take the ferrying across ( or book a twenty-four hours tour ) to gorgeous Culebra , where you may drop a twenty-four hour period on Flamenco , one ofthe island ’s most beautiful beach . Eat an edible before hopping on the ferry and just enjoy its mellowed quiver while you swim in the crystal - clear , turquoise sea . Other top beaches include Condado Beach in San Juan and Luquillo Beach on the east glide . Puerto Rico is base to some of the cosmos ’s best breaker dapple , many of which are on the northwestern coastline in and around the surf townspeople of Rincón .
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If you get the munchies , you ’re in for a kickshaw : Puerto Rican culinary art is a delicious blend of Spanish , African , and Taíno influence , and local dish like mofongo , tostones , and lechón are even more delicious when you are high . Some of the best places to prove Puerto Rican ravisher are roadside stand and humble eateries make love as " kioskos " or " chinchorros . "
Just east of San Juan , Piñones is famous for its beachfront kiosks that offer a change of Puerto Rican street foods . you could find several stands serving fresh made mofongo ( romance , deep-fried green plantains filled or topped with shrimp , wimp , pork barrel , or seafood and serve with a rich stock or sauce ) along with other local favorites like alcapurrias ( deep - fried unripe banana fritters satiate with seasoned beef or pork barrel ) and bacalaítos ( codfish fritters that are crispy on the outside and soft within ) .
settle in Cayey , Guavate is renowned for its lechoneras ( seasoned , slow - laugh at pork on a spit over an receptive flaming ) . The region bluster many wayside stands and little restaurants attend this meaty dish aerial with rice , pigeon peas , or mofongo sides .
Alcapurrias hanging to cool in Piñones|mucaron/iStock/Getty Images Plus
For a proper restaurant experience , you may try Santaella or La Casita Blanca . Both are in San Juan and serve Puerto Rican fare . Even if you ’re not gamy , dining on Puerto Rican culinary pleasure in the San Juan sunshine will make you experience like you ’ve come in another world .
