Support for Cannabis Tourism: A Tale of Two States

Abstract

The cannabis tourism market has seen tremendous growth in recent years. However, researchactivities by academic scholars and industry professionals have barely scratched the surface toexplore this emerging tourism segment. This study addresses the gap by comparing residentperceptions on cannabis tourism in two states, Colorado and Oregon. A quantitative survey wasdistributed to Colorado (n=254) and Oregon (n=165) residents. Results of the study revealed thatthe respondents in each state appear to have different views on perceived impact from, benefit of,and support level for cannabis tourism. Overall, Colorado residents’ attachment was higher thanOregon respondents. Additionally, Colorado residents showed that if they had a higher placeidentity, they were less likely to perceive negative impacts. In a similar context, the study resultsalso confirmed that there was a stronger causal relationship between respondents’ perceivedimpact and support for cannabis tourism among Colorado respondents than Oregon respondents,indicating that Colorado residents’ support for cannabis tourism was more significantlyinfluenced by their perceived positive and negative impact levels than Oregon respondent did.Considering the continued evolvement in the legal and economic landscapes of cannabis tourism,policy-makers and industry professionals should engage in continual conversations on

The Chinese media narrative of Thailand as a tourist destination after the legalisation of cannabis

“…Research on cannabis tourism has primarily been conducted in Europe and North America, with studies examining cannabis tourism in the Netherlands [ 43 , 44 ], the United States [ 10 , 44 , 45 ], and Canada [ 46 , 47 ]. These studies have explored the motivations of cannabis tourists, the impact of cannabis tourism on local economies, and the effects of cannabis legalisation on the tourism industry.…”

The shifting landscape of cannabis legalization: Potential benefits and regulatory perspectives

“…In the state of Washington, alone, cannabis taxes collections and licensing fees totaled $367.4 and $395.5 million for the 2018 and 2019 tax years, respectively (Boyd, 2020). Relatedly, a budding cannabis tourism industry has emerged in the United States, attracting both domestic and international travelers and offering significant financial boosts to local and state economies (Kang & McGrady, 2020). This increased demand for legal cannabis has in turn created a variety of legal employment opportunities throughout the entire supply chain: over 243,000 full-time jobs were supported by legal cannabis production and sales as of January 2020 (Barcott et al, 2020).…”

Narcotourism: a conceptual framework and research agenda

“…prior writings on drug tourism include, but are not limited to, descriptions of 'marijuana tourism' and 'cannabis tourism' in Amsterdam, Colorado, Morocco, and elsewhere (e.g. Belhassen et al, 2007;Kang et al, 2016;Kang & McGrady, 2020;Keul & eisenhauer, 2019;Taylor, 2019); 'opium and heroin tourism' in Thailand (e.g. Dearden, 1991); 'psychedelic tourism' , including 'ayahuasca retreats' to the Amazon (e.g.…”

“…Consumption-oriented narcotourism is growing in popularity, and it will continue to evolve as locations move to legalize marijuana and other currently controlled substances (Kang et al, 2016;Kang & McGrady, 2020). As a consequence of particular destinations having a reputation as permissive regarding drug consumption, many of the geographic locations referenced above are now associated with drug consumption (Uriely & Belhassen, 2006;Winter, 2009).…”

“…Just as a destination's comparative advantage may have once centered on the presence of sand, sun, and sea, liberal attitudes toward drug consumption and increased legality can provide new forms of competitive advantage for consumption-oriented narcotourism in particular locations (e.g. Kang et al, 2016, Kang & McGrady, 2020Taylor, 2019), allowing them to tap into demand arising from contexts where drugs laws remain more restrictive. scholarly attention to consumption-oriented narcotourism is likely to grow in parallel to these legalization trends.…”