The Rise of Cannabis Tourism

Cannabis tourism is on the rise throughout the world. In the US, 11 states have legalized the use of recreational marijuana, making it a popular hub for both domestic and foreign cannabis travelers.

Colorado was the first state in the US to legalize recreational cannabis, and it has grown by approximately 51% since 2014. A survey done by Colorado Tourism shows that 12 million of the 82.4 million tourists who travelled to Colorado in 2016 engaged in marijuana-related activities. The survey also reported that 5% of the travelers visited the state of Colorado solely for marijuana purposes. The Colorado data also shows that other states like Nevada, Washington, and California are likely to record explosive sales.

Cannabis was first legalized in Canada on 18th October 2018. This has made Canada the second country in the world to legalize recreational marijuana, after Uruguay. With the legalization of cannabis in Canada, there are great expectations for the growth of the cannabis tourism industry.

A Market with High Demand

With cannabis legislation on the rise in the United States and Europe, more people than ever before are learning how to grow cannabis for the first time. Retail outlets like cannabis coquitlam are also opening their doors. Most people are finding their feet in this business as they take to form companies that will provide cannabis tours to travelers who come from states that prohibit cannabis use.

Few years ago, Matt Kurth, who was a Whitewater river guide, got tired of his job and decided to venture into another career. Having extensive experience in the tour guide industry and realizing that there was a major cultural shift, Matt decided to venture in the cannabis industry. He was inspired by his love for cannabis and tourism to launch Humboldt Cannabis Tours, a firm that has introduced 420 fans and novices to cannabis producers.

Sam Rosenbaum is another cannabis tour guide who ventured into the cannabis industry after watching the “The Colbert Report” in 2014. Founder of the High 5 Tours, Mr. Rosenbaum said that the idea about bus tours interested him, and this prompted him to register his company the next week. His company became the first cannabis bust tour in the state of Oregon. With new sources of health in regards to cannabis, such as at https://cfah.org/, the industry is booming.

Booming Bus Tours

Countries like Canada and Spain allow personal consumption of cannabis and sale in licensed facilities. In the US,  11 states have legalized recreational cannabis, with Denver, Colorado hosting the Colorado Cannabis Tours and My 420 tours. Denver is known as a pot smoking community and visitors from other states flock here to experience marijuana-related activities.

The Colorado Cannabis Tour takes visitors to a tour of the dispensaries and farms where they engage in activities like cannabis cookery lessons, pipe making lessons, indoor growing and glass pipe blowing demonstration. The bus tour costs approximately $89 and lasts for four hours and 20 minutes.

The Colorado Cannabis Tour also offers the Puff, Pass & Paint class which goes for about $49. The class, which was first launched in 2015, comes with guidance for a teacher and involves art supplies. There is also a canvas provided after the classes.

Artist Heidi Keyes admits that the classes provide amazing painting opportunities. She said that smoking enables people to concentrate better and think outside the box. She also said that smoking makes the colors appear more vibrant.

My 420 Tours is also located in Denver, and they are known for providing the Blaze & Gaze Graffiti Walking Tour which goes for $29 and the Sushi & Joint Rolling Classes that go for $79. The company also provides a post-consumption walking tour (2.5 miles) to the RiNo Art District.

Wine and Weed Tours in California

The wine and weed tours are increasingly growing in popularity as they take tourists to wine and cannabis tasting in California. One such tour is the British Columbia, in Victoria, which picks travelers from a private airport and takes them for a tour in the mountains. The company then feeds them and smokes marijuana with them.

Another tour company in California is the West Coast Cannabis Tours, which provides tours and classes to tourists. Located in San Diego, the company offers an exclusive tour of a growing facility that measures 32,000 square foot, for $99. According to the founder of the company, Todd Green, people are gaining interest now that marijuana is recreational.

Restaurants were also not left behind as most incorporate cannabis to their dishes. A good example is The Nomad Cook, which serves its adult visitors a five-course meal that is infused with cannabis. In other restaurants, you will find cannabis-infused dishes in various categories such as fizzy drinks, barbeque sauce, and gummy sweets.

Regulations for Bus Tours

Despite the booming cannabis tourism industry, there are still regulations that abound. This is particularly true for bus tours. For instance, in California, Colorado and Oregon, it requires travelers on tour buses to consume cannabis that they have brought from cannabis dispensaries.

In the state of Seattle, the law prohibits utilizing cannabis in cannabis cooking class. In Nevada and Washington, the law prohibits smoking of cannabis only for tours that are educational.

Also, Canada has put in place signs at airports that prohibit travelers from carrying marijuana out of the country. On the other hand, LAX Airport in Los Angeles allows travelers to fly with cannabis, given that it is in the right, legal amount.

Apart from state laws, it is also vital to understand the local laws of the country. For example, cannabis is permitted on a federal level in Canada. However, it’s prohibited to use in public. Minors are also not permitted to use cannabis in this country.