THE TRAVEL ISSUE
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10
cannabis destinations
From smoke lounges and spa treatments to bus tours and bud and breakfasts – there is no shortage of ways to satisfy your weedy wanderlust.
boston
As the birthplace of the American Revolution, Boston is known as the Cradle of Liberty – a promise they lived up to for pot smokers when Massachusetts legalized Cannabis for adult use in 2016. There are now nearly 180 dispensaries across the state, at least 20 of which are located in the greater Boston area. Beantown is home to the original Chemdog strain and the Boston Freedom Rally – the annual “protestival” held at Boston Common park each September, thanks to the activists at MassCann NORML. When visiting the Common, stop by the bench on “Mount Malta” dedicated to the late, great Cannabis activist Michael Malta – aka the “King of Pot” (KOP) – and pay tribute with a joint. After blazing in the Common, you can grab a quick beer across the street at the famous Cheers bar (from the TV show), then head out on the Freedom Trail – a 2.5-mile walking tour (marked on the road by a line of red paint) that leads to 16 of Highest Attractions Freedom Trail, Sam Adams Brewery, Boston Common, Boston’s most important Revolutionary Boston Freedom Rally (September), Faneuil Hall War sites.
AMSTERDAM
The original Cannabis tourism destination. Long considered the Cannabis capital of Europe, Amsterdam was the seat of Cannabis activism and cultivation for decades. Though not legal, Cannabis has been “tolerated” in the Netherlands since the early 1980s. In addition to the 160-or-so Cannabis coffeeshops, the Dam offers visitors many outstanding museums, a rocking nightlife and of course, the infamous Red Light sex district. Unfortunately, though, the government there has been clamping down in recent years – closing nearly half of the city’s Cannabis coffeeshops and threatening to ban tourists from them by next year. So if you’ve ever dreamed of going, now’s the time.
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Highest Attractions Van Gogh Museum, Rijksmuseum, The Bulldog, Greenhouse Coffeeshops (Cookies Lounge), Barneys Farm & Uptown, Sensi Hemp Museum, Smokeboat Canal Tour, Amsterdam Light Festival (Dec).
barcelona
Similar to Amsterdam, Barcelona has 200 quasi-legal lounges/clubs where one can buy and consume Cannabis – the difference being that, to enter, you need to be a member (and technically, a resident). But like most other prohibition laws, there are always gray areas to exploit. Aside from the Cannabis clubs, Barcelona also offers delicious tapas, decadent hot chocolate, spectacular cathedrals and architecture (most notably by Anton Gaudi), hip graffiti and skater culture, museums, nightlife and more. Barcelona is also home to Spannabis, the world’s largest Cannabis convention each March. Highest Attractions Sagrada Familia Cathedral, Parc Guell, Sensi Hemp Museum, Bulldog Barcelona, Picasso Museum, The 4 Cats Café, Spannabis, Hop On-Hop Off bus tour.
MAY 2022
denver
They don’t call it the Mile High City for nothing! After becoming the first major city in America to legalize Cannabis for adult use in 2012, Denver saw a mass migration of Cannabis lovers. With over 200 dispensaries, multiple Cannabis bus tours and consumption lounges, a smorgasbord of gourmet restaurants and craft breweries, killer street art and a number of 420-friendly hotels (some of which even offer complimentary vaporizers in their rooms) – not to mention the glorious Rocky Mountains, Red Rocks Amphitheater, world-class mountain sports, hot springs, and sister stoner city Boulder all just an hour or so drive away – Denver remains a popular getaway destination for tokers. Highest Attractions Meow Wolf, Red Rocks Amphitheater, Illuzion glass gallery, International Church of Cannabis, Patterson Inn (420 Hotel), 4/20 Rally - Civic Center Park
the emerald triangle
Comprised of three counties in Northern California (Mendocino, Humboldt and Trinity), the “Emerald Triangle” has been considered the Cannabis cultivation capital of America (if not the world) for half a century now – ever since the hippies of Haight Ashbury moved up there to live amidst nature and escape the eyes of the law. But thanks to legalization, decades of suspicious and seclusionary attitudes towards outsiders have given way to an embrace of history and hospitality. Today, the region is exploding with new venues, shops, spas and tours designed to educate the public about Cannabis culture. Sample some of the legacy strains, then explore wineries, the majestic Redwoods and rugged coastline.
NATE WILLIAMS
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Highest Attractions
The Lost Coast, Avenue of the Giants.
Madrones Hotel, Papa and Barkley Social, Fern Canyon,