In November, voters in California, Nevada, Massachusetts, Arizona and Maine will decide whether to legalize recreational marijuana. If the referendums pass, the states will join Colorado, Washington, Oregon, Alaska and Washington, D.C., in offering the sale of legal weed to adults over the age of 21. How legal cannabis impacts tourism in those states is still being studied. Senior editor Sarah Feldberg spoke to Paul Armentano, deputy director of the marijuana advocacy group Norml, about how the laws trap tourists in a catch-22 and the potential for pot-driven travel among cannabis connoisseurs.
Q: Is recreational marijuana having an impact on tourism in states where it's legal?
Paul Armentano
A: It certainly seems to be in Colorado, and we know that because tourism figures are at all-time highs. And a significant portion of those who visit Colorado self-identify as visiting the state at least in part because they have regulated sales of marijuana.
Q: Is it also deterring visitors?
A: It's possible that there could be a minority of individuals who are deterred from visiting, but certainly they are more than made up for by the large number who see marijuana legalization as an impetus for traveling to these jurisdictions.
Q: Are the states with legalized weed and tourism businesses in those states promoting it?
A: I would say no, not overtly. There may be some subtle marketing that seems to be taking place in certain destination cities, but I would not say there is statewide marketing taking place.
Q: Do the laws put tourists who want to use legalized marijuana in sort of a catch-22? It's illegal to use it in public places like parks, and many hotels have smoking bans.
A: It raises an important issue, because the law says these are products that are legal to possess, to buy and to use, but it doesn't designate a place where nonresidents can legally use the products. So you see a couple things happening: You see people trying to clandestinely use these products, or you see the rise in popularity of edible products because they are hard to distinguish from noncannabis products. Same with vapor cartridges.
Q: What's the solution?
A: The solution would be to move toward some sort of social-use club policy where you would have licensed business establishments that are open to the public where consumption onsite would be permitted.
Q: Some people compare marijuana tourism to wine or craft beer tourism. Is that correct?
A: I think for the real connoisseurs of cannabis there will be an appeal to that type of marketed tourism, just as wine aficionados travel to Napa Valley. If we look at beer and wine as a model, certainly there's an element of tourism that exists not just with regard to the use of these substances but with regard to the production and manufacturing. ... I certainly think there's going to be a niche element of cannabis connoisseurs that also would be willing to book travel based on having that unique experience.
Q: Do you see the potential for marijuana to be a bigger driver for tourism?
A: Arguably, there probably needs to be something more than just cannabis. I think the reason you see the popularity of Colorado as a tourism destination is because you have Aspen, you have Denver, you have Telluride and you have Breckenridge -- oh, and you have legal cannabis, too. If Alabama were to legalize marijuana tomorrow, I'm not sure Mobile would be a high-volume tourist destination.