His triple-win wasn\u2019t just about growing plants \u2013 it was a lifetime of knowledge, spiritual connection, and traditional cultivation practices coming full circle. As he exited the stage after accepting his trophies, fellow growers gathered around him in a moment of genuine respect and celebration, recognizing that the victory was a win for every farmer who had nurtured the plant long before it was legally acknowledged. His success underscored the deep roots of cannabis culture in Antigua – -roots that no law could erase, and that now, finally are recognized.<\/p>\n
In the indoor category, the competition was fierce but saw standout performances from Vitilio Pena and Dwayne Paul. Pena took first and third place showcasing his seriousness about indoor cultivation with Dwayne Paul preventing a clean sweep of the indoor category with one of his potent strains.<\/p>\n
- \n
- 1st<\/sup> place: Platinums \u2013 THC 24.10 %, Terpenes 1.5 %,<\/li>\n
- 2nd<\/sup> place: Candy Elevation \u2013 THC 23.98 %, Terpenes 1.7 %<\/li>\n
- 3rd<\/sup> place: Runts \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u2013 THC 24.53 %, Terpenes 1.6 %<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The indoor category showed just how far Antigua and Barbuda\u2019s cannabis Industry is evolving. Indoor cultivation allows growers to precisely control temperature, humidity, light cycles, and pest exposure \u2013 all critical factors when producing consistent, high quality cannabis for medical use. This level of precision is essential for meeting the strict standards expected in the medicinal market, where patients rely on predictable cannabinoid and terpene profiles for treatment. By dominating the indoor category, growers like Mr. Vitilio Pena and Mr. Dwayne Paul proved that Antigua and Barbuda is not just growing cannabis – it\u2019s growing it to a standard that can stand alongside global medical markets. Their success signals a serious leap forward for the islands ambitions in the medical cannabis space.<\/p>\n
However, the Cannabis Festival wasn\u2019t all about THC percentages and Terpene profiles. The event\u2019s Culture Day offered a deeper dive into our national identity, featuring an Agri \u2013 Expo, traditional food stalls, and a fiercely contested domino tournament.<\/p>\n
This PULL-A-RAMA, organized by Ms. Carol\u2013Faye Bynoe-George \u2013 President of Antigua and Barbuda National Domino Association (ABNDA), was contested by over thirty players, with the youngest contestant a 13-year-old, winning second place. When the night was over the final results were:<\/p>\n
- \n
- 1st<\/sup> place: Keith Johannes\u00a0 \u00a0 \u2013 1 Flat Screen Television<\/li>\n
- 2nd<\/sup> place: Kimani Skepple \u2013 \u00a01 Microwave Oven<\/li>\n
- 3rd<\/sup> place: Renfield Davis\u00a0 \u00a0 \u2013 \u00a01 Air Fryer<\/li>\n
- A consolation prize of a Blender was awarded to Windon Graham.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Day transitioned into night, with prayers and chanting around the warmth of a bonfire, led by the Nya Bhingi Drummers and the event was brought to a close with a mini-concert featuring the Jamaican roots reggae artiste Chezideck.<\/p>\n
Known for his conscious lyrics and Rastafarian messages Chezideck lit the stage with hits like \u201cLeave de Trees\u201d and \u201cCall Pon Dem\u201d, in a performance that felt less like a concert than a blessing. His message \u2013 protect the earth, know your roots, and stand for truth \u2013 resonated deeply with the particular crowd and moment.<\/p>\n
The festival wrapped up on Sunday April 20th<\/sup> with a praise and thanksgiving ceremony held at the Nya Bhingi Temple at Ras Freeman located in Table Hill Gordon – Liberta where the spiritual significance of the bond between Rastafari, cannabis and community was honored by those present.<\/p>\n
With strong leadership, popular support, and a growing framework of regulation and opportunity, Antigua and Barbuda is fast becoming a model for cannabis development in the Caribbean.<\/p>\n
Minister Smith\u2019s vision is clear: cannabis is not a threat \u2013 it is a tool for food sovereignty, medical advancement, economic diversification and national pride. The Wadadli Cannabis Festival didn\u2019t just celebrate a plant: it celebrated a people reclaiming what was always theirs.<\/p>\n
The seeds of progress have been planted. The world is watching \u2013 and \u2013 Antigua is ready to grow.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
From forbidden herb to national pride, the Caribbean\u2019s cannabis narrative is being rewritten- and Antigua and Barbuda is holding the pen. In a landmark celebration of culture, cultivation, and consciousness, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13891","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news-notices"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/agriculture.gov.ag\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13891","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/agriculture.gov.ag\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/agriculture.gov.ag\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agriculture.gov.ag\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agriculture.gov.ag\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13891"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/agriculture.gov.ag\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13891\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13920,"href":"https:\/\/agriculture.gov.ag\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13891\/revisions\/13920"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/agriculture.gov.ag\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13891"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agriculture.gov.ag\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13891"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agriculture.gov.ag\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13891"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
- 2nd<\/sup> place: Kimani Skepple \u2013 \u00a01 Microwave Oven<\/li>\n
- 2nd<\/sup> place: Candy Elevation \u2013 THC 23.98 %, Terpenes 1.7 %<\/li>\n
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