Raised in the hills of Kwa-Zulu Natal, and being one with a proclivity for growing and consuming quality cannabis, it's quite self-explanatory as to why the small, landlocked Lesotho Kingdom was on the top of my Absolutely-Must-Visit list for years.
I was lucky enough to grow up in a community of cannabis enthusiasts. Since recently moving to Cape Town, however, I have not had the same unlimited access to gorgeous, local nugs. If you’re in any of South Africa’s major cities there is a strong possibility that the most readily available Cannabis is going to be sourced from our neighbor, Lesotho.
Lesotho’s history with Cannabis, or Matekoane in Sesotho, dates back to the 10th Century when the Koena people moved into the mountainous areas of Lesotho from Mpumalanga. Matekoane was exchanged with South Africa’s indigenous San people, and has been a standard trading item for both recreational and medicinal use ever since. Traditionally, the herb was used to treat ailments from headaches to high blood pressure, as well as a means to feel stronger and more motivated.
Cannabis is one of Lesotho’s top three economically lucrative industries. (The others being International Aid, and wages sent home from miners working in South Africa). The country is almost entirely acclimated to support growing high-quality cannabis. Yet, the cultivation, possession, and both recreational and medicinal use of the plant without exclusive license from the government is punishable with a hefty fine, jail time, or both. Anything not intended for export is technically against the (very loosely enforced) law.
Despite Lesotho making progress towards legalization in 2017 allowing applications for licences to legally farm cannabis, most O.G. farmers are still forced to sell their crops to South African smugglers. Not only are farmers risking imprisonment, they are also at the mercy of whatever the smugglers want to pay. How much is a license to become a Cannabis farmer, you might find yourself wondering? Only $73,000 US Dollars… pocket change, really.
Well, obviously not to locals. With more than a quarter of adults unemployed, Lesotho’s budding Legal Cannabis industry is now becoming dominated by wealthy international business giants. The government states that it’s aim is to stimulate the national economy and create desperately needed jobs. Still, many locals feel suffocated by limited entrepreneurial opportunities. It’s a situation that, like in South Africa, is still unfolding.
My travels took me to a small Matekoane farm tucked away in the foothills nearby Mapoteng village, just 70km away from the capital city of Maseru. This corner of heaven is owned by the Leballo* family. The farm’s current Boss is a radiant single mother of five, named Sesi*. She is more affectionately known as Big Sis, and has only ever farmed the good green.
Among other daily activities, Big Sis showed me how to unload a small elephant’s worth of fresh Cannabis to sun-bake on clay slabs. I also received a tour through her fields, often stopping to sit and share her peipi. I felt, and still feel, a deep appreciation for the labor that goes into production of a herb consumed so quickly by modern consumers - and often with so much showmanship.In Mapoteng, things are as they should be, slow, steady, spiritually in tune - and with plenty of smoke breaks.