// BUSINESS INNOVATIONS //
America is Becoming an International Xanadu for Cannabis Tourism By Aaron Smith As a growing number of states legalize adult use, including New York, New Jersey, and Virginia, they’re turning much of America into a playground for weed-loving tourists. The coronavirus pandemic flattened the tourism industry in 2020. But hoteliers, restaurateurs, and bartenders are hoping for a summer comeback. Legal states like California and Colorado, which have had time to develop fledgling industries in cannabis tourism, are well-poised to cash in on tourists with a taste for something they can’t get at home: legal marijuana. Entrepreneurs in states where legalization is just starting to take hold, like New York, have a lot to learn from the states that pioneered legalization and have had time to set regulations and develop markets. Tourists from prohibition states, like Texas and Idaho, and prohibition countries, like China and Japan, have an ever-widening landscape of cannabis-friendly states to visit. States that are legalizing adult use can expect to attract pot tourists, who flocked to early adopters like Colorado, California, and Nevada, shortly after they legalized recreational cannabis.
that other states could incorporate cannabis into their existing tourist features. “In a place like New York, it’s going to feel different than a tour in California,” said Pinho. “Remember the plant is always the star of the show.” Legalization has led to different sorts of businesses that could cater to tourists. Heidi Keyes, an art teacher in Colorado, was smoking pot with her friend one day when she came up with the idea for Puff, Pass, and Paint: art classes for cannabis-smoking students. “I started a couple of classes as a joke, and they filled up right away,” said Keyes, who has expanded to 13 cities including New York, Boston, and Washington, DC. “It’s going to grow from here on out, which is fantastic.” Cannabis tourism in California and Colorado could serve as a template for New York, according to David Holland, executive and legal director of Empire State NORML, a prolegalization organization, and co-founder of the NYC Cannabis Industry Association. Like with Emerald Farm Tours in California, he said that visitors to New York could go on
Selling cannabis to out-of-staters can be lucrative. John Kagia, chief knowledge officer at New Frontier Data, said that Colorado derives 4% of its cannabis sales from out-of-state visitors, while Nevada derives 25% of its cannabis sales from tourists. Some dispensaries in Las Vegas receive 60% to 70% of their revenue from tourists, he said. What New York Can Learn From California In Colorado, which legalized adult-use in 2014, and California, which legalized in 2016, a myriad of businesses catering to cannabis tourists have popped up. Victor Pinho, founder of Emerald Farm Tours in San Francisco, takes tourists on tours of the cannabis farms of Humboldt County. He said 60
Cannabis & Tech Today // Summer 2021
Executive and Legal Director of Empire State NORML David Holland
farm tours upstate while taking in Niagara Falls, the Finger Lakes, and the Adirondacks. Bong Hits in the Big Apple … But Where? It is easy to picture tourists flooding into New York City because they’re already there. Iconic tourist meccas like Times Square, Broadway, and the Statue of Liberty are coming back to life, and the city’s restaurants and museums are fully open this summer. “The composition of the type of tourist that comes to New York is going to look very
