Iceland is Ready for Legal Cannabis
When you think of Iceland, what images do you conjure in your mind’s eye? Volcanoes and glaciers? Geothermal pools, hot springs, and waterfalls? Vikings?
How about sustainable cannabis?
Iceland’s Hemp for the Future
In a country with no medical or recreational markets, but an eye on health and Wellness, plant medicine and cannabis, in particular, can be a major economic force in Iceland. Tota (Þórunn Þórs Jónsdóttir) and her team are leading the charge, and their Hemp for the Future conference (HFTF) is at the forefront of bringing this future to reality.
The conference was held inside Iceland’s oldest theater, Iðnó, in the heart of Reykjavik (a city whose translated name literally means smoky bay, does it get any more literal than that?!), a city that perfectly blends old-world European charm with forward-thinking design and technology.
The people were friendly, educated, and deeply connected to the land. The water runs pure from glaciers, and nearly 90 percent of Iceland’s energy comes from geothermal and hydroelectric sources. The country is setting a global example for sustainability and balance.
Fat Nugs Magazine: The Main Hemp for the Future Media Partner
For the first time ever, Fat Nugs Magazine was not only invited to participate in the Hemp for the Future Conference in Iceland, but we were also the main media partner. Derrall Peach, Dustin Hoxworth, and I had the honor of joining panels to talk about cultivation, home grow, and the vital role information and media play in pushing cannabis normalization and legalization forward around the globe.
Hemp for the Future helped me check off a few bucket list items. I’ve always wanted to explore Iceland. As an adventure seeker and lover of nature and wild places, Iceland is about as wild as you can get. I also got to speak on an international panel with my friend and Fat Nugs photographer, Darrell Peach, about cultivating medical and recreational cannabis.
If that wasn’t enough, we also got to experience the local cannabis and psychedelic scene, both of which are alive and well, albeit underground.
Literally straddling two tectonic plates, Iceland is slowly being ripped apart. Perhaps this is a metaphor for old, outdated beliefs and policies. You can literally stand on the European tectonic plate and urinate all over Donald Trump, the North American tectonic plate, if you so choose. (Don’t try it the other way unless you want to be covered in your own tinkle.) Volcanoes, hot springs, geysers, glaciers, waterfalls, and rainbows, Iceland has it all.
From the natural beauty to the raw ruggedness, Iceland provokes primordial adventures at the ends of the earth. When I think of Iceland, I picture Vikings clad in armor, salty, icy ocean water crusted to their clothes. Current-day Iceland is a society with universal health care, Women presidents, and very little gun violence (0 gun deaths between 2007 and 2018, with 1 in 3 Icelanders owning a gun).
It’s fitting that it would be the grit and determination of Icelandic women to put legalization on their shoulders. With a left-leaning woman-run government, it’s the perfect opportunity in a country of less than 400,000 people, and where politicians are not as isolated as in the United States.
Iceland consistently tops the international rankings for gender equality and sustainability. Perhaps, they can follow their own lessons by giving women the keys to the cannabis industry as a condition of legalization. Let this plant empower the women of an entire country and let it be powered sustainably.
Powerhouse of Women Leading the Global Cannabis Stage
Hemp for the Future brought together a powerhouse of women leading the charge in the land of fire and ice. Passionate panels and fascinating talks with global cannabis leaders gathered from across the world. At the center of this beautiful gathering were many strong women speaking about sustainability, healing, and how to make cannabis legal and equitable.
I asked a couple of the speakers and panelists what their takeaways from the conference. Jeff Lowenfels, author, garden columnist, and one of the more humorous and entertaining lecturers on the garden lecture and cannabis circuit:
“The seminar in Iceland was so educational. It centered on women’s health and completely changed the audience’s attitude about CBD. I am quite sure that the word will spread as a result of this conference is very important and marks a changing point and the public attitude about CBD.”
Fat Nugs Founder and CEO, Dustin Hoxworth, had this to say about the HFTF:
“While the new government did not attend the conference this year, the conversations and visibility alone made a powerful impact. Icelanders want legalization, and their active legacy market reflects a thriving, passionate culture that is ready for change. The time we spent together as a team, alongside so many brilliant minds, was transformative. From the Psychedelics retreat to walking the streets of Reykjavik, this trip reminded us why we do what we do. Next year will be even bigger, and we cannot wait to go back.”
Dustin closed the conference with a powerful, personal testimony sharing intimate details of how this wonderful plant has changed his life. Weaved into his emotional message was a blueprint to changing the hearts and minds of people outside our cannabis community bubbles. If we are strong enough to shed our armor and open up our hearts and lean into vulnerability, we allow ourselves to connect with our fellow human beings.
As much as we require facts and data, equally important are our personal connections to the plant. The stories and the experiences that won over our hearts and our minds matter. This is how we win over the disbelievers, and this is how we change over one hundred years of propaganda.
Post Conference Bonding – Experiencing Iceland with a Local
After the conference, the FNM team and some of our international canna-friends loaded up in a tour bus and explored the southern stretch of the Golden Circle, arranged by our Iceland friends. Our tour guide, in Icelandic fashion, was the most humble billionaire I’ve ever met. He also makes one fine mushroom chocolate – but that’s a tale for another time.
The Sky Lagoon, a 15-minute drive from downtown Reykjavik, is a must if you’re in the capital. The Skjól Ritual is a seven-step, all-encompassing wellness journey that guides you through Icelandic bathing culture. Highly recommended and extremely relaxing, especially with the local mushroom chocolates. It’s a perfect place to catch the Northern Lights while soaking in a steamy geothermal pool, while sipping on a crowberry martini from the swim-up bar.
The FMN team found the most intimate and cost-effective way to buzz around the city was on the electric scooters scattered on every block. The food in Iceland was also incredibly fresh and delicious, no matter what we tried. The mornings were always bright because we found one of the best bakeries and some local java.
As a Wisconsinite and a fish fry connoisseur, Iceland did not disappoint! Huge slabs of flaky, white, buttery soft cod with the perfect amount of batter. And don’t get me started on the French Fries. I think the oil used for cooking is of much higher quality than anything used in the United States. The pizza in Iceland was also top-notch, but it makes sense when you consider the pure water at their disposal.
The FNM team then hopped in a rental car and headed to the central part of the island, known for its geothermal springs and for producing vegetables year-round in geothermal greenhouses. This is where and part of how Iceland can become a global supplier of sustainably grown cannabis.
We cruised past glaciers and waterfalls on our way to a psychedelic retreat with an intimate group of our Iceland friends and solidified our friendship with a beautiful ceremony in a converted greenhouse.
Hemp is the Future in Iceland – And Around the World
When I think of Fat Nugs Magazine, I can picture nearly every person I’ve crossed paths with on this journey. Warriors in our stoner armor, but instead of using weapons of war, we wield pens, paint brushes, pictures, and print media. We don’t claim to know the truth, but we cut through the bullshit and are constantly learning and seeking knowledge to cultivate a more just and equitable future for us all.
There are no ends to where we will go to learn and to teach. We are on a mission bigger than any one person, bigger than any singular movement. We are raising the global consciousness through plant medicine and taking our health back into our hands and into our communities’ hands. We live in an unprecedented time of communication and when humans communicate, we connect. It’s as simple as that.
I wish everyone could have experienced Iceland the way the Fat Nugs Team got to experience it. It was an amazing, life-changing trip. Our cannabis community is alive and more connected than we know it.
I’ll leave you with the words of the woman who made this whole thing possible, Hemp for the Future Co-Founder:
“What happened in Iceland was so much more than a conference. It was a moment where people, the plant, the bees, and the mushrooms all came together — a reminder that nature is with us, teaching us how to heal, regenerate, and collaborate.
We’re all fighting for the same thing — a healthier, more connected, and greener future.” Tota – Þórunn Þórs Jónsdóttir
