Why Denver won’t tout marijuana tourism to become the next Amsterdam

Despite the passage of Amendment 64 —which made Colorado the first state to legalize small amounts of marijuana for recreational use— marijuana tourism is not on the agenda for state boosters.

The new law…was opposed by most Colorado lawmakers. Richard Scharf, president of Visit Denver and chairman of the Colorado Tourism Office, warned that passage of the amendment could hobble the state’s travel industry.

“If Colorado receives international media attention as the first state in the U.S. to legalize marijuana in their Constitution, Colorado’s brand will be damaged, and we may attract fewer conventions and see a decline in leisure travel,” Scharf said in a press release two weeks ago.