Ganja, once ostracised by conservative Jamaica, is arguably the country’s hottest product thanks to progressive legislation. That is good news for promoters of the Stepping High Festival, which has grown significantly with the embrace of the previously embattled weed.

The event’s 16th edition takes place from March 1-2 in Negril, the tourist town where it was conceived by the Connell family in 2003. Then, it was a gathering of small ganja farmers fighting for relaxation of laws to grow and sell their product; the last three years has seen the event expand to include seminars, workshops, and a live reggae concert and fashion show highlighting ganja’s benefits.

Khimaja Connell, a director of Stepping High Promotions, acknowledged the festival’s growth in an interview with the Jamaica Observer. But she is frustrated that that growth has not attracted support from the Jamaica Tourist Board or Tourism Enhancement Fund.

“Although Stepping High is no longer an underground event, we pretty much have to utilise our underground marketing methods. We have to come up with innovative and cheap ways of marketing the event,” she said. “Despite the overwhelming amount of first-time visitors to the island which Stepping High has attracted over the years, and the huge impact on community tourism in Negril, the event receives little to no support to further develop an initiative by ordinary citizens which is enhancing Jamaica’s tourism product.”

Connell’s parents, Lyndon and Karlene, started Stepping High at their home in Negril’s West End. The festival costs $9 million to stage, with funding coming from the family’s coffers. Even with a tight budget, they find creative ways to make their venture appealing.

“We have had to undertake marketing of the event with an unimaginably low budget. We have to put a lot of time and effort into researching and finding free online promotional opportunities. Posting on online community noticeboards and free online festival guides across Europe, Asia and North America is one of the ways we get the word out,” Connell disclosed. “I suppose this is one of the reasons we are able to attract such a unique audience, because we have had to implement a very different kind of marketing strategy – and there is still room for improvement even in using this method.”

While respecting ganja’s age-old link to Rasta and reggae, the Connells hope to position Stepping High with other forums that champion use of the plant – such as the Cannabis Cup which is sponsored by High Times magazine. That event was held for the first time in Jamaica in November 2015 when the Government took initial steps to decriminalise ganja.

Like the Cannabis Cup, seminars and workshops featuring persons with knowledge of the ganja industry take pride of place.

“The emphasis on ganja education as well as cultural and holistic education is significant. In fact, there are six hours dedicated to education – from workshops on best farming techniques, emphasising ital farming, and establishing an ital standard,” Connell explained. “There are forums, discussions, and presentations by individual speakers. One of the reasons for this strong emphasis on education, I guess, is because there are a number of academics from The University of the West Indies on the Stepping High team.”

Connell, who is a member of the philosophy section of the Department of Language, Linguistics and Philosophy at The University of the West Indies, is among this year’s presenters. So too her colleague, Professor John Bewaji, Dr K’adamawe K’nife from Mona School of Business, and Dr Andre Haughton from the Department of Economics.

There will also be exhibits on ganja in Jamaica – mainly from the parishes of Clarendon, St Elizabeth and Westmoreland. These will be tested by judges based on flavour, aroma, aesthetics and THC level. On closing night the live concert features Capleton, I Wayne and Addis Pablo.

Connell, who is in her late 20s, grew up watching her parents fight for decriminalisation of ganja. Their intimate gathering has grown to the point where it receives support from the Negril Chamber of Commerce, hotel owners, and tour operators.

However, they have yet to make an impression the two important, previously mentioned government organisations.

“The most disappointment we face is the lack of support we get from the tourism funding agencies – the Jamaica Tourist Board and Tourism Enhancement Fund. We would like this to change in the future,” she said.

Garnett Johnson also known as Brother J, receives the prize for top ital Ganja Farmer, at the Stepping High Ganja festival last year.

2). An Ital farmer shares information about.ganja bi-products to persons who visited the booth during the Stepping High Festival.