A lifestyle for people who won’t hide their love of cannabis 

Brief history of international prohibition 

Despite being a valued medicine for much of human history, the past century or so has seen cannabis demonized and forced underground. Some countries like Canada, Germany and Thailand have made cannabis  have recently made inroads towards legalization but other states still have severe laws when it comes to possession and sales of cannabis. 

Prohibition is a pro and a con for cannatourism 

The challenges of owning and operating a destination or travel related service that includes cannabis are well documented. From legal risk to safety concerns being a proprietor that offered cannabis at a destination where it’s illegal needs little explanation. However due to this same legacy of prohibition we have an entire community that was forced to use creativity to find ways to enjoy the plant they love and rely upon for quality of life. As a result cannatourism has become a sector that relies on creative ways to slowly normalize and legalize the use and production of cannabis. 

 Drive towards legalization 

Beginning with the decriminalization of cannabis along with other drugs in 2001, Portugal is the first country to allow cannabis consumption. At the national level Uruguay then Canada have legalized cannabis to some degree. Regionally, California, Colorado and Washington foreshadow a time when the United States will also follow suit. Thailand was next to take massive steps to permit cannabis consumption within their borders. Germany recently legalized while Mexico remains poised to do so. The bottom line is that while there remains much, much more work to be done – including freeing incarcerated individuals and clearing their criminal records – we are closer than ever in the last 100 years to a world where cannabis is celebrated! 

Time to normalize 

The drive behind much of the progress towards legalization has been provided by the dire straits of patients who rely on cannabis for normalcy and comfort. Unfortunately these same people have been sacrificed as collateral damage in the “green rush” of early commercial opportunity. At the same time efforts to legalize production have not been mirrored in public consumption regulations. This time may well be marked as the time when the slow struggle of destigmitizagation took over from anti-prohibition activism of yesteryear. Here the point must and always be to ensure no one is discriminated against for needing, wanting or simply enjoying the pleasures of consuming Mary Jane. 

An approach to travel that includes wellness and personal development 

What if we didn’t need a vacation after our vacation? 

How many times have we all come home from a holiday of fun only to feel depleted and in need of another week just to recover? For most of us this feeling of fatigue is part of the cost of taking time away: Including bikinis and having to work extra so nothing is missed. But what if we didn’t need to feel this way? By focusing on the entourage effect of travel, wellness and cannabis a vacation can achieve all the fun without the fatigue. 

Can an integrated approach to travel lead to a better life overall? 

The answer is an unqualified yes! Here’s why: When we look at travel including time for reflection, relaxation and recreation, we begin to trace out what a more balanced lifestyle can look like. Gently adding changes to our health, mental wellbeing and vision for the future can be done more easily when we are outside our normal routines. Much like a psychedelic experience includes time to integrate, having time after our cannatourism adventures to journal, reflect and express ourselves creativity, the lessons can be brought into our “regular” lives.  

How does cannabis support travel inspired wellness? 

When we look at our lives as one holistic entity then we can begin to blend and harmonize tension between “work” and “life”. Cannabis can support the process by providing uplift to our productive goals and elevating our recreational goals. Since many of the passionate cannatourism professionals are also the most passionate consumers, we aim to share how cannabis can support all aspects of life. Whether you’re a consumer, a patient or an entrepreneur you’ll want to stick around for what we have in store. 

A global community of consumers, entrepreneurs and service providers

Most cannatourism professionals are also passionate consumers too

If we break down cannatourism to its most simple, we are talking about the partnership between plant, planet and human has existed for at least hundreds of millions of years. Cannabis herself was first discovered to be used by humans on the ancient Silk Road network. This ancient practice of ingesting whatever plant medicine we had handy and then we would walk and wander. Today when we think of cannatourism wander lusting we can also include eco-luxurious accommodation and 5-star dining which is probably more comfortable than our ancestors got to experience. Either way when we pack our peddler’s sack, digital or physical, with our offerings and hit the road, sky or sea we are connecting with a long tradition. 

Consumer education and peer support are available in abundance 

One of the unintended consequences of international prohibition is that education and consumer support was done by word-of-mouth and in close community. As a result, and in part because of the wide array of people who consume it and how they consume, cannabis educators are already empowered to bring their wisdom to an exploding category of new consumers. Again most producers and retailers become educators as well as merchants of cannabis. Add to it the travel and leisure sector, also well versed in content driven consumer education, and we have a powerful driver for a vibrant services sector in cannatourism. 

Genuine opportunities for people from traditionally marginalized communities 

Because of the low cost of entry, intersections of discrimination that overlap medical, racial, gender and other forms of identity, cannatourism is especially poised for an explosion of BIPOC and women lead businesses. At a time when the legal cannabis industry is being criticized for its lack of early diversity, investing in cannatourism can play a positive role in reversing this trend. Not only is diversity important for the health and sustainability of the industries we represent but it’s also important for companies to take a stand and defend the human rights of our audiences and customers wherever they reside. Empowering entrepreneurs from marginalized communities may be a small step in the right direction and a bigger step by becoming a model for other sectors. To quote the great Maya Angalou, “no one of us can be free until everyone is free”. 

A really fun way to make a living

Requires minimal startup capital 

No matter your background, having a big bag of money to start a business is an advantage that most entrepreneurs don’t have. Especially in the legal cannabis industry where initial startup costs are in the low-medium seven figures, barriers to entry are real and almost universal. With cannatourism, however, service providers can begin with almost zero capital. 

Creativity and passion are valued 

Travel and cannabis are both consumer products associated with creative and colourful cultural impressions. From the iconic Hilton Hotels ads to the original covers of High Times Magazine, cannabis and tourism are spaces where creativity and passion are rewarded. The extra touch with your cannafriendly Air Bnb, that exiting design for your tour company’s IG page, all of these quality soaked activities are exactly what’s need to thrive in cannatourism. We may not be many in our numbers, though surely this is changing, but our passion and commitment authenticity breed vocal and loyal consumers to brands and people that get us. 

You may already be doing it 

Whether it’s a concierge service for visitors to your city, a cannabis inspired tour in your premier growing region or turning your Air BnB into a friendly haven for cannabis consumers, you may already have the existing resources to start a cannatourism business today. You may be constrained by local laws and customers, we understand this. Yet in places where cannabis is not yet legal (other than Canada, Thailand, Uruguay, Portugal and Germany most countries apply here) there may be ways to be creatively compliant and serve eager customers. From networking with service providers to lobbying and advocating for legalization there’s always some place to begin from.