Article Summary:
- A decade ago, Colorado blazed the way for cannabis tourism in the United States.
- In the intervening decade, much of the cannabis industry’s tourism activity has centered around April 20th, plus a sparse few other attractions and events.
- Overall Colorado’s cannabis tourism scene is falling behind other states, according to industry experts.
- Nonetheless, at least one expert believes Colorado may be poised for a renaissance in cannabis tourism.
In 2012, Colorado voters passed a groundbreaking ballot measure: Amendment 64. It legalized the sale and use of recreational cannabis, ending 95 years of prohibition. Alongside Washington, Colorado was one of the first two US states to make this radical change.
The United States’ first adult-use dispensaries opened doors in Colorado on January 1, 2014. According to the Colorado Department of Revenue, the state’s cannabis industry has generated over $15 billion in sales over the past decade — generating more than $2.6 million in tax revenue.
Colorado’s legalization is widely considered a success story that served as a model for the 24 states across the country that have followed in its footsteps in legalizing recreational cannabis.
But there is one area that some industry experts think Colorado got things wrong — or at least, hasn’t maximized to its fullest: cannabis tourism.
Cannabis is no longer exclusive to Colorado, nor shiny and new. But according to one expert, out-of-state visitor numbers are holding steady. And one local entrepreneur I spoke to even thinks a reemergence in cannabis tourism is right around the corner.
But before I get into the weeds, let’s talk about how cannabis tourism has changed in Colorado in the past decade — starting with stoners’ favorite holiday.
Table of Contents
Cannabis Tourism in Colorado Spikes Around April 20th. But Today, 4/20 is Less Political and More About Partying.
In 1992, Vietnam veteran and cannabis rights activist Ken Gorman started hosting “smoke-ins” outside the Colorado State Capitol Building in Denver. Each year, more and more pro-legalization advocates appeared alongside him.
Attendance at what became known as the 420 Rally grew to the tens of thousands. In 2014, event organizer Miguel Lopez told Time magazine that 80,000 participants from across the country were expected that year.
He also clarified that no longer was the event a free-speech rally. Though it “still [maintained] a strong political course and direction,” it was a festival — a long fought-for celebration that continues to take place annually.
Denver alone saw dozens of pot parties, concerts, classes, and even competitions on April 20, 2014. According to Time magazine, the High Times U.S. Cannabis Cup sold all 40,000 of its tickets that year. The event reappeared in 2015 but Denver then lost its position as a host city.
However, other 420 celebrations cropped up in subsequent years. As reported by 303 Magazine, the first 420 on the Rocks event in 2016 sold out at Red Rocks Amphitheater. The Denver-area venue has nearly 10,000 seats.
420 on the Rocks is now an annual event, often headlined by cannabis culture legends. Redman and Method Man, Ice Cube, Wiz Khalifa, and Flatbush Zombies are recurring performers.
While Denver is the state’s main hub for weed tourism, it’s not the only place that celebrates 420. The mountain town of Gunnison began hosting the Cannival festival on April 20, 2019. It continues to be an annual tradition.
What About Year-Round Cannabis Tourism in Colorado?
On the other 364 days of the year, Colorado sees far fewer cannabis tourists. But there’s no denying that cannabis is a part of the state’s tourism scene. Indeed, Travel Lemming’s own guide to the best things to do in Denver features three entries geared entirely around cannabis (visiting a dispensary, The International Church of Cannabis, and the Marijuana Mansion).
Year-round attractions for visiting stoners and the canna-curious, including:
- Seed & Smith “From Seed to Sale” Tours, which show visitors a behind-the-scenes look into its cultivation and extraction facilities.
- Colorado Cannabis Tours, which take groups to multiple dispensaries and other sites via a weed-friendly party bus.
- The International Church of Cannabis, which hosts light shows and guided meditations in Denver.
- Creswell Mansion, a historic building in Denver’s Capitol Hill featuring Instagram-worthy spaces dedicated to cannabis.
- Tetra Lounge, a laid-back cannabis lounge in Denver’s RiNo Arts District.
- The Coffee Joint, a Denver consumption lounge and event venue attached to a dispensary.
- JAD’s Mile High Smoke, a Denver “cannabar” that serves THC-infused drinks alongside flower and concentrates.
There are several cannabis-centric festivals and events outside of 4/20, too. These include:
- Kickoff to April, a cannabis contest and concert that takes place at the end of March at Denver’s Temple Nightclub
- Bong-a-thon, the country’s longest-running cannabis event, which occurs in July and has been hosted in several Colorado mountain towns
- Sensi Nights, which are cannabis community events hosted in various venues throughout Denver
- Ganja Yoga, which occurs monthly at The Coffee Joint
- Puff, Pass & Paint classes, available to small and private groups in Denver
- Puff, Pass & Bake classes, which teach Denver groups cannabis culinary techniques
So, How Has Cannabis Tourism Changed in the Past Decade? In Short, Colorado Is Falling Behind Other Legalized States.
The above section may lead you to believe that options for cannabis tourists are plentiful in Colorado. But in actuality, that list of a dozen sites and events is fairly comprehensive.
In recent years, several of Colorado tokers’ favorite happenings have disappeared. For example, after a 15-year run, the cannabis-friendly Sonic Bloom Festival announced that it would not return in 2024. Discs-n-Dabs, a cannabis-fueled disc golf tournament, ended its annual appearance in Colorado in 2022.
While Sensi Night events continue, they’re not nearly as frequent as they once were. Their former monthly schedule is now sporadic. There were two events in 2022 and just one last year.
Cannabis-friendly venues like Cultivated Synergy have shuttered. Dispensary chain Medicine Man no longer hosts its once-popular grow tours. The list goes on.
So, while there are 686 recreational dispensaries in Colorado, things to do outside of shopping are limited. This is especially true compared to other legalized states.
“I think Colorado has let the cannabis tourism market share slip to other markets, and I think that is a combination of regulatory practices, as well as a lack of working together in the industry — mostly regulatory, though,” says Arend Richard. He’s the owner of Cirrus Social Club, an elevated cannabis lounge set to open in Denver late this summer.
Richard continues, “For example, Las Vegas is set to launch between five and ten new lounges this year. Colorado has three that [have been] approved in the city of Denver for over two years and none of them are operational. There’s clearly some sort of regulatory embodiment that’s preventing success.”
Seed & Smith tour guide Jake Figallo shared a similar sentiment. While he believes that cannabis tourism has changed for the better in the past decade, it hasn’t developed fast enough.
“The one thing we have not nailed down in this state is consumption. We can sell you all the drugs in the world, but the places to safely consume them still elude us,” comments Figallo.
He adds, “If you go to the Jack Daniels tour, you get a shot of Jack at the end. That’s the thing that we cannot provide on our end. It’s actually illegal for me to provide water to my tour guests because we’re not allowed to give them any substance of any kind.”
If you happen to get cotton mouth, you’re out of luck. But not everything is negative when it comes to cannabis tourism…
Out-of-State Stoners Are Still Coming to Colorado. And One Industry Expert Thinks a Tourism Boost is Around the Corner.
Seed & Smith has hosted grow tours since 2014 and has kept records regarding its visitation numbers. Based on this data, Figallo shares, “We do around 80% tourists and have for the better part of our business.”
He adds, “The majority of [out-of-state] IDs that I see are from southern states, ones that are on the last push to get fully legalized. A lot of Louisiana, a lot of Texas, and a lot of Florida. The legal states that I see are more like Missouri — ones that have just recently changed.”
Figallo mentions that discrete products like cartridges and edibles are most popular among out-of-towners. Though, some visitors prefer to consume their cannabis the classic way.
Figallo says, “As far as flower goes, it’s [often] smaller quantities with really personalized terpene profiles that have spoken to them. They’ll get a gram, maybe an eighth at the most. But pre-rolls are the most approachable for [tourists].”
However, as discussed, visitors who purchase flower have limited options on places to spark up. But soon, Cirrus Social Club will add to the mix of cannabis lounges in Denver — but in a unique, upscale way.
“For me, it’s always been about bringing something more to the experience [of] smoking weed,” comments Richard. He formerly had an entertaining and educational cannabis-centered YouTube channel with 190,000 subscribers.
Prior to that, he spent a decade working in food and beverage management. His resume even includes a couple of five-star restaurants in New York City. “When Colorado finally legalized social cannabis consumption venues, I knew that mixing my passions was something I really wanted to do,” says Richard.
He explains, “Cirrus is really an experience business similar to Casa Bonita or Meow Wolf. It’s more than just a lounge. It’s more than just a restaurant.”
Future visitors to Cirrus can look forward to table service and a luxurious interior, complete with chandeliers and a pink grand piano. Flower and cannabis-infused products will also be available to purchase on-site.
Figallo concludes, “If I get things to go the way that I hope that they go, I think that Cirrus will be a huge pivot towards a reemergence of cannabis tourism in Colorado. I really hope that Cirrus can help define what true cannabis hospitality can look like.”
