Cannabis tourism, also called marijuana tourism, is travel/tourism related to cannabis or incorporating cannabis use. Tours, activity packages, concierge services and more are available for cannabis tourists, who may travel from jurisdictions where it is expensive, unavailable or illegal – or who may simply wish to use cannabis while on holiday. Some conventional tourist businesses (lodging, entertainment, etc.) advertise as "

420 420 may refer to: * 420 (number) * 420 (cannabis culture), informal reference to cannabis use and celebrations on April 20 **California Senate Bill 420 or the Medical Marijuana Program Act *AD 420, a year in the 5th century of the Julian calendar * ...

-friendly", meaning they will not stop or discourage guests from possessing or consuming cannabis. Cannabis tourism occurs in jurisdictions with modern tourism infrastructure and established tourist attractions, like

resort A resort (North American English) is a self-contained commercial establishment that tries to provide most of a vacationer's wants, such as food, drink, swimming, lodging, sports, entertainment, and shopping, on the premises. The term ''resort ...

s or

nature park A nature park, or sometimes natural park, is a designation for a protected natural area by means of long-term land planning, sustainable resource management and limitation of agricultural and real estate developments. These valuable landscape ...

s. However, some isolated, impoverished agricultural communities, known for large-scale illegal marijuana production, also attract cannabis tourists, with significant economic impact. Cannabis tourism is distinct from cannabis smuggling, the import/export of cannabis by definition in violation of the law.

History

The

counterculture of the 1960s The counterculture of the 1960s was an anti-establishment cultural phenomenon that developed throughout much of the Western world in the 1960s and has been ongoing to the present day. The aggregate movement gained momentum as the civil rights mo ...

renewed interest in non-Western cultures and travel to far-flung destinations. Many, especially members of the

hippie A hippie, also spelled hippy, especially in British English, is someone associated with the counterculture of the 1960s, originally a youth movement that began in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread to different countries around ...

subculture, experienced destinations with centuries-old traditions of ''cannabis'' use and cultivation as they traveled across Central and South Asia. In some stops, cannabis was legal and regulated in some forms prior to modern drug prohibition, while in others production was tolerated as a cash crop.

By destination

The Americas

Canada

The post- C-45 debate on regulating cannabis tourism in Canada continues, and laws vary widely from province to province. Some provinces including Ontario and New Brunswick allow farm-to-consumer sales to encourage tourism.

Mexico

Cannabis use has often been associated with Mexico in the United States; at the time of their passage, marijuana prohibition laws in the United States were justified with explicitly racist language against Mexicans. It was a frequent destination for American hippies seeking cannabis in the 1960s; activist and professor Timothy Leary was arrested re-entering the United States from Mexico with a small amount of marijuana, leading to a court case which weakened US marijuana laws. It is speculated that US government efforts to discourage marijuana production and tourism by spraying

paraquat Paraquat (trivial name; ), or ''N'',''N''′-dimethyl-4,4′-bipyridinium dichloride (systematic name), also known as methyl viologen, is an organic compound with the chemical formula C6H7N)2l2. It is classified as a viologen, a family of redox ...

on marijuana fields inadvertently led to an increase in the supply of American-grown cannabis beginning in the 1970s.

United States

In 2013, prior to legalization, the Washington State Liquor Control Board (now the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board) commissioned a study of marijuana legalization on the state, including the impact of tourism. The study, written by Carnegie Mellon University researchers, estimated over 400,000 new visits a year to the state. In 2014, the travel guide Fodors published a "how to" for marijuana tourists in Washington state. The official Washington tourism website has a FAQ section for marijuana tourism. The Washington State legislature specifically considered tourism in its 2015 I-502 reform. Because consumption in public is illegal, rental sites like "Bud and Breakfast" https://www.budandbreakfast.com/ include "

420 friendly 420, 4:20 or 4/20 (pronounced four-twenty) is cannabis culture slang for marijuana and hashish consumption, especially smoking around the time 4:20 pm (16:20). It also refers to cannabis-oriented celebrations that take place annually on Apr ...

" in descriptions for marijuana tourists, and marijuana tourism rental specialists have sprung up to meet demand. The actual impact of marijuana tourism is debated. Industry groups say it is significant, but state tourism officials in Washington said there is "fairly low amounts of consumer interest through our visitor information", and in Colorado "We still don't have any numbers that support that marijuana tourism exists". An NBC News report stated that Hotels.com bookings were up slightly after legalization in both states. Manitou Springs is a small town in El Paso County, Colorado. It is home to two recreational marijuana dispensaries, the only two in the second most populous county in the state. As a direct result of recreational marijuana sales the city's tax base increased. Manitou sales tax collections set a record in July 2014, which included only a few hours of recreational marijuana sales for the month. One operator's Manitou Springs location is their most popular, due to its location at the foot of Pike’s Peak. Tourism in Oregon was expected to begin in 2016 with legal retail availability for non-residents. Expansion of marijuana tourism to Vermont, and to Mendocino and Humboldt Counties, California, has been discussed.

Asia

Cambodia

Enforcement of laws prohibiting cannabis in Cambodia is opportunistic. Food vendors in tourist centers across the country, including Sihanoukville and

Siem Reap Siem Reap ( km, សៀមរាប, ) is the second-largest city of Cambodia, as well as the capital and largest city of Siem Reap Province in northwestern Cambodia. Siem Reap has French colonial and Chinese-style architecture in the Old F ...

, openly sell dishes infused with cannabis, including happy pizza.

India

The cannabis plant has been used for thousands of years in India, and has become a destination for cannabis tourism. Indian law prohibits marijuana nationwide, but some states allow and regulate '' bhang'', a preparation of cannabis leaves with religious significance in Hinduism. The communal elder of Malana village, long world-renowned for its

hashish Hashish ( ar, حشيش, ()), also known as hash, "dry herb, hay" is a drug made by compressing and processing parts of the cannabis plant, typically focusing on flowering buds (female flowers) containing the most trichomes. European Monitorin ...

, banned homestays in 2017 to curb cannabis tourism.

Laos

Vang Vieng Vang may refer to: People Vang is a common surname among Hmong Americans, including *Vang Pao (1929–2011), Lieutenant General in the Royal Lao Army and a leader of the Hmong American community in the United States *Ka Vang (born 1975), writer * ...

was once a popular destination for cannabis tourism.

Nepal

As in India, cannabis has a long history in Nepal. Before 1973, taxed and regulated vendors of ''ganja'', ''charas'' and ''bhang'' operated openly catering to western tourists on

Old Freak Street Jhochhen Tole ( ne, झोछेँ टोल, translit=Jhochhen Tole), popularly known as Old Freak Street, or Freak Street is a small neighbourhood located at the south of Kathmandu Durbar Square. Presently known as Old Freak Street, this anci ...

in Kathmandu. It was only criminalized in Nepal in 1973 under pressure from the US government, and even now enforcement is opportunistic, particularly during religious festivals.

Thailand

Aggressive enforcement of cannabis prohibition in Thailand only began in the late 1970s. With new medical cannabis rules, visitors to Thailand can now obtain approval for Thai medical cannabis fairly easily, with speculation that cannabis licensing may be a source of revenue for the Thai military.

Africa

Malawi

Malawian cannabis () is world-renowned. Nkhotakota District, which has a productive illegal ''chamba'' industry, is particularly popular with cannabis tourists, thanks to lax enforcement and its natural beauty.

Morocco

The world-renowned '' kief'' of Ketama, Chefchaouen and the greater Rif valley attracts cannabis tourists.

South Africa

Cannabis tours are well underway in South Africa, and the continent's largest cannabis industry convention is held annually in Durban, Pretoria and Cape Town.

Europe

The Netherlands

Around the 1970s, in response to a growing counterculture, the Netherlands adopted a liberal drug policy (), tolerating the use and sale of cannabis in regulated consumption lounges known as "coffeeshops". Large-scale cannabis tourism has resulted, making the policy controversial in Dutch politics and society, especially since the country entered the

Schengen Area The Schengen Area ( , ) is an area comprising 27 European countries that have officially abolished all passport and all other types of border control at their mutual borders. Being an element within the wider area of freedom, security and j ...

Oceania

Australia

Nimbin, New South Wales is known as a destination for cannabis tourism around Australia and the world. The annual MardiGrass festival attracts thousands annually. Local police have installed

closed-circuit television Closed-circuit television (CCTV), also known as video surveillance, is the use of video cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place, on a limited set of monitors. It differs from broadcast television in that the signal is not openly t ...

cameras and increased enforcement to curb cannabis tourism, with little success.

Legality

Cannabis tourism has legal implications. Globally, cannabis is classed a Schedule I drug under the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, which are allowed for medical use but considered addictive and prone to abuse.

Efforts to discourage cannabis tourism

Some countries, including Russia, South Korea and

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

, prosecute their citizens for consuming cannabis in jurisdictions where it is legal.

References

{{Drug use Cannabis Cannabis industry Recreational drug tourism https://www.huffpost.com/entry/what-is-cannabis-tourism_l_63026695e4b0f72c09d86293