The psychedelic adventure is a travel rite of passage. In the 1960s hippies flocked to the Mexican desert, compelled by the desire to see sandy plains writ in Technicolor, hungry to ‘ride the snake’ described by Jim Morrison during his illicit wilderness peyote experimentations. Then relaxation of Amsterdam’s marijuana laws in the 1980s led to pot pilgrimages with punters puffing their way to the meaning of life at cannabis coffee shops. In the 2000s came shamanism, and for many it seemed the only way to navigate a mid-life crisis was to pay a visit to the Peruvian rainforest and its ayahuasca ceremonies in search of psychospiritual epiphanies.
Now, the USA is the destination for those seeking a trip of the trippy variety. Colorado became the first state to legalise recreational marijuana at the end of 2012, and as a result over-21s can now buy it for personal use. Despite the fact that the legislation means people can’t toke in public, potheads descended upon Colorado’s slick new cannabis dispensaries. Forget grubby little head shops, these are beautiful spaces where ‘budtenders’ guide customers through different blends. The Silverpeak in Aspen, for example, has a ski-lodge feel with the design elements of a greenhouse. Websites Bud and Breakfast and travelTHC have sprung up touting cannabis-friendly lodgings, and members’ clubs such as Denver’s Club 64 allow you to bring your own blend to smoke while socialising with other stoners.
Although Washington, Oregon, Alaska and the District of Columbia have all since relaxed their laws, Colorado still offers the most for connoisseurs. Here, Cultivating Spirits arranges pop-up suppers where each dish is paired with small-batch green; one variety with oyster burrata, another with citrus and vanilla crème brûlée. Meanwhile, on the tours run by My420 keen cooks can make (and taste) their own jalapeño cannabis poppers, and at Twisted Sister’s ganja yoga retreats guests downward dog in the morning and shop for supplies in the afternoon.
The trend shows no sign of having a comedown, with Colorado dispensaries now stocking artisanal products: Dixie Elixirs’ cannabis-infused blueberry lemonade; peaches-and-cream flavoured cannabis chocolate from Leafs by Snoop, the brand from ganjapreneur Snoop Dogg. Later this year, Colorado will debut its first ‘weedery’. Described as a winery for marijuana and costing about £24 million, the Colorado Cannabis Ranch and Amphitheatre will run greenhouse tours and talks on the science of cultivation, all set against the backdrop of the Rocky Mountains, with a dispensary for those essential dope souvenirs.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker
Full Article: Trendwatch – Cannabis Tourism
Author: Sanjiv Bhattachara
Contact: Conde Nast Traveller
Photo Credit: Creative Commons
Website: Conde Nast Traveller
