Pot Tourism Is Growing But Some Destinations Still Take a Sober Approach

Some 82.4 million travelers visited Colorado in 2016, two years after the state became the first to legalize marijuana. Colorado Tourism conducted a survey in 2016 that found 15 percent of those visitors (about 12 million) participated in a marijuana-related activity, and 5 percent reported it as a motivation for their trip. That number of pot loving tourists for 2016 in Colorado is more than most U.S. states' — and many countries' — annual visitor totals. Colorado's experience underscores just how much pot is a growing sector of the travel industry, as more U.S. states and countries legalize marijuana. Whether it's visiting a dispensary, taking a cannabis tour, or kicking back at a pot lounge or coffee shop, weed is a big draw. Still, many companies and organizations have yet to embrace pot tourism due to the legal uncertainties and sensitivities around the issue. The U.S. Department of Justice said earlier this year that it's considering challenging some state marijuana legalization laws. But U.S. Senator Cory Gardner of Colorado said on Friday that President Donald Trump is backing down from potential challenges, according to Politico. Denver, Colorado, is a particular hotbed for pot tourism. Earlier this month, the city asked cannabis tour operators to apply for a designated consumption area license. Some tour operators like CannabisTours.com, a Denver-based company founded in January, 2014, that has expanded to Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Boston, and Washington, D.C. where pot has been legalized, said the new license is the latest example of a crackdown on pot tourism, said Mike Eymer, CEO and founder of CannabisTours.com. Eymer also founded and runs Colorado Cannabis Tours. Eymer said he learned