THE TRAVEL ISSUE
Dank Destination
Matt Onkka will be your guide
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getting high in style leafmagazines.com
experience the best of oregon’s cannabis culture aboard this pot leaf-covered tour bus
OREGON is notorious for being historically pro-pot. A medical state since 1998, the Cannabis market expanded exponentially when Oregon voters passed Measure 91 to legalize adult-use marijuana in 2014. Since then, green crosses have popped up all across the state, with over 100 weed retailers in Portland alone. While shopping at a dispensary or opting for delivery is a sweet treat to any Cannabis fan, Portland also offers a unique experience for locals and tourists interested in a daytime weed adventure. THE POTLANDIA EXPERIENCE
POTLANDIAEXPERIENCE.COM FB.COM/POTLANDIATOURS
may 2022
The Potlandia Experience is the perfect way to kick back, relax, and learn a thing or two about Cannabis culture around Portland. Originally operated by Great Oregon Tours, the Potlandia Experience was once hosted by tour guides Wayne Oppenheimer and his wife Camille. After years of guiding wine tours, they decided to offer a different kind of experience for Cannabis-curious visitors. Legalization opened up new possibilities for weed tourism … what better way to educate and entertain than with a tour bus decked out in every manner of Cannabis paraphernalia? The bright purple tour bus is decorated with giant pot leaves and lightning bolts, and the interior is even more magical. The plush seats are emblazoned with pot leaves and flashing party lights line the ceiling. Rolling papers and trays, bongs and bowls are ready to be filled with Oregon’s finest herb. If the loud exterior doesn’t give away what’s going on inside, fog machines kick on every time guests exit the bus – giving the illusion of a fully hot-boxed scene.
In September 2019, Portland local Matt Onkka acquired the business and continued to offer two Cannabis-themed tours before the pandemic forced Onkka to shut down in March 2020, remaining closed for the following year. “COVID almost eliminated us,” he said. Things were slow to pick back up when Onkka opened for tours again, but he feels confident that the lifted restrictions will boost business. “I did just recently re-open and we are starting to get some more interest, and hope we will continue to get busier as the pandemic is waning and people are more comfortable getting out and doing more things,” said Onkka. The first of his offerings, The Marijuana Tour, is a rock ‘n’ roll trip around Portland designed to provide a VIP tour of the city, with plenty of stops along the way. Born and raised in Portland, Onkka has a depth of knowledge about the City of Roses. As the purple bus glides through the city, Onkka offers up the good, the bad and the ugly about his hometown.
