Marijuana Tourism: Its Major Issue and Promising Future

Smoke Gal

Member

The marijuana tourism industry is a burgeoning one with great potential because of its recent legalization. As the negative stigmas associated with marijuana use fade away, just about every tourist visiting Colorado and the other legalized states now curiously enters recreational marijuana storefronts to see what might catch his or her fancy. People who haven’t used marijuana in years or sometimes never before are now putting their inhibitions aside to try cannabis. Because of the overwhelming array of edibles, tinctures, topicals, and even transdermal patches available. people don’t even have to smoke to partake in the festivities. However, with marijuana moving into more industrialized facilities for massive-scale production, it is important that consumers seek out organically grown, pesticide-free marijuana that is cultivated with the end user in mind.

One of the cannabis tourism industry's major surprises is the fact that it has caused such little negative impact. With the laws in the state now allowing for possession of small amounts of cannabis, arrests have gone down, thus allowing police officers to focus on real criminals distributing truly harmful drugs like cocaine and heroin. Tax income from marijuana tourism is also a huge bonus, as it is being used to directly impact the legalized states in a positive fashion through education funding and infrastructure improvements. People are also now obtaining good paying jobs in grow facilities and dispensaries, entrepreneurial tourism start-ups, and ancillary companies that produce lighting, air conditioning units, and other needed instruments for the industry.

Marijuana tourism is a fantastic new industry filled with promise, but a slight issue is that although anyone 21+ can purchase cannabis, there is virtually nowhere to use it. With so many people using marijuana in the state, I feel it is essential that we provide people with a safe option to consume it. That said, I think we will see a shift towards similarities with the wine industry. Enter the marijuana winery, complete with grow facility tours, educational seminars, and even samplings of different products. I believe this is the direction marijuana is headed and as time goes on, I hope we can offer a winery-type experience to showcase this plant that we are putting our hearts and souls into producing, similar to what winemakers have been doing for a very long time.

About Anthony Franciosi

Colorado "Pot-repreneur" Anthony Franciosi is the founder of The Honest Marijuana Company, which utilizes all-natural cultivation methods to produce only the finest organic and eco-conscious cannabis products. Originally created as a way to holistically relieve pain from sports injuries, The Honest Marijuana Company produces a more earth friendly cannabis than the other hydroponically-grown strains available today. For more information, visit their website at www.honestmarijuana.com
 

Oregon Gardener

Well-Known Member
I can see it now. A double-decker bus full of tourists visiting retail shops and growers. After about the 3rd stop:

"Hey! Hey, people! Wake the f**k up. We are at another stop. And stop bringing those nachos back on the bus, m'kay?"
I've actually seen something like this once.During the NORML conference in Portland Or. The folks from NORML put tourists on a bus and took them to one of the only places like that at the time. However, it only took one stop. We (Oregonians) were waiting for them with in some cases their first (real) hash and BHO oil. We blew their heads off! Some of them had trouble getting back on the bus. Frankly the BHO got me too.
 

hotrodharley

Well-Known Member
I've actually seen something like this once.During the NORML conference in Portland Or. The folks from NORML put tourists on a bus and took them to one of the only places like that at the time. However, it only took one stop. We (Oregonians) were waiting for them with in some cases their first (real) hash and BHO oil. We blew their heads off! Some of them had trouble getting back on the bus. Frankly the BHO got me too.
My daughter lives in Beaverton. I drove her up from NM last May to go to school at PCC. First stop - Cortez, CO and the Medicine Man. I'm way old and been smoking since 1964. Born and raised in Texas so itwas like this dream going in the front door of someplace and see real pot in the counters. For sale. Legally. Bought some strains and some dab and off we went again. Set the Tom Tom to New Vansterdam in Vancouver and went there before I dropped her at her mom's. Again - wow. Now you guys are retail and she is in heaven. I will be back in AK for good next Spring and can hardly wait.
 

Brikthor

Active Member
I can see it now. A double-decker bus full of tourists visiting retail shops and growers. After about the 3rd stop:

"Hey! Hey, people! Wake the f**k up. We are at another stop. And stop bringing those nachos back on the bus, m'kay?"
Hahaha. If they're stopping by the Family Joint cannaclub in the springs, those nachos are killer!
 

TheFuture

Well-Known Member
Lots of pot tourism here in Colorado. I see many Ohio, Texas and Kansas license plates. Though there really isn't any type of pot-bus or taxi like tours, pot tourism is more like a retired couple over 60 years old driving their massive RV out to Colorado, parking it alongside the roadway as they go visit the nearest pot shop they can find. They spend about $400 average, smoke or eat maybe $30 worth then I guess freak out how to get rid of the rest of it in the short amount of stay they planned. There are other annoying people who come out here 100% for weed and I promise you they are considered carpet baggers and if you tell a business you moved here just for weed they are going to treat you like garbage because you are willing to do whatever it takes to be in the industry.

Then there are the people who have just enough money to pay for just enough gas to get here then abandon their cars or live in them while begging for food and weed money. This is not a stereotype; I have stood outside the doors of the shop and watched these people cycle day in and day out. Shameful.

CannaTourism in Colorado is simply that you can drive here, enjoy smoking some pot if you are 21 or older or if you are a medical patient get your needed alternative medication without fear of harassment. That's it. No magic schoolbuses, no live hemp shows at Red Rocks, and especially no tours of grow facilities unless you have money to put in.

I kindof sound negative about it, huh. Every industry has its caveats. I wish we could have kept it strictly medical though, for patients' sake. Tourism has hammered quality of product across the board. I cannot find a retail or medical spot that produces 60% of the quality and strength as before. Good luck finding adequately cured "store-bought" product.

When Amendment 64 allowed recreational shops and the medial and rec sides had to be split up, there was a visible rift in customers and shops because you can no longer find consistency. If you do find a medicine that works for you, odds are it will be on sale on the recreational side and your medicine never available on the med side. Therefore your meds go out the door to some tourist from Texas that could smoke ragweed and not know the difference, and will most likely get thrown away.

Also that article makes this dude sound like one lone ranger or something but the truth is there are plenty of "pot-repreneurs" doing the same shit. No need to put anyone on a pedestal that is working to get rich. "Honest" or not.

**AND youre not allowed to consume product on premises if sales are made there. You can go to a club to use your own product not affiliated with the club. I dont think they will ever allow you to sample product anywhere unless its totally free. For instance, you cant pay a cover fee at the door to smoke freely whatever is on the inside, or something like that. They even made it unlawful to offer free snacks and beverages... or anything for that matter on the sales premises if MJ is sold. As far as "no places to smoke it" BS... I laugh. There has NEVER been a place to smoke it, yet it gets smoked. Enough said.
 
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