Cannabis tourism lights up

Future. Cannabis-driven travel is on the rise, so cities and tourism agencies are meeting demand by offering curated experiences and information. Considering that Whitney Economics found that for every dollar spent at a cannabis retailer injects $2.80 into the local economy, enterprising states may see weed-cation-ing as a strong way to bring in the green amid a greater-travel slowdown.

High flying
With 19 states and Washington D.C. legalizing cannabis for recreational use, according to Forbes, the tourism market partaking in the bud biz is rolling up revenue.

• All-inclusive tours like Emerald Farm Tours in San Francisco and Michigan Cannabis Trail give travelers an overview of the dispensaries, farms, and other experiences in their area.
• Modesto, CA, partnered with cannabis-tourism strategy firm Cultivar to create the MoTown CannaPass — a “passport-style reward program that helps visitors discover a variety of restaurants, activities and cannabis retailers in the area.”
  • It’s already boosted overnight stays in Modesto by 11%.

• And of course, Los Angeles is attracting people from all around the world, with the L.A. Times dubbing the city’s West Hollywood neighborhood as the “Amsterdam of the Far West.”

Pass the legislation
Slowly but surely, communal cannabis experiences are being viewed in the same way as a day out at the winery or at a brewery.

• A Harris Poll found that 68% of Americans support adult use of weed, and 50% of Millennials say they choose where to vacation based on legal recreational use.
• MMGY Travel Intelligence found that 18% of Americans who travel regularly are interested in cannabis-related experiences while traveling.

And with Forbes estimating that $4.5 billion of the $25 billion in legal cannabis sales last year was already due to tourism, the numbers may only get higher as Millennials age up into their peak-traveling years.