The recreational pleasures that ordinary islanders enjoy have become synonymous with the name  dancing to the heavily rhythmic musical beat; taking a little marijuana (or  ganja,  as it's known here), which many Jamaicans view as a kind of medicinal herb; or simply sitting back and chatting with friends on a bench or street corner, where the situation is described as  Irie  the equivalent of  Everything's just fine!
Marijuana is known as ganja in Jamaica.
The guides tell this story to get visitors' attention, even though it's probably not true.