Visitors to Canada have been able to legally enjoy marijuana for about 6 months since the Canadian government made history in October 17th legalizing cannabis across the country.
With recent changes to federal drug laws, Canada is poised to be a major competitor for weed tourism. Keenan Hall, founder of The Movement Cannabis Tours, believes that B.C’s history and retail landscape place Vancouver in contention with internationally renowned pot hot spots like Amsterdam and Colorado.
With Canadians slated to spend $7 billion on marijuana sales in 2019, it’s no surprise there is a new wave of luxury weed tourism companies popping up. They offer bespoke itineraries for high-end tourists who want weed in style—whether it’s $155 hemp oil massages, a cannabis-infused dinner for $175 or a cannabis wedding for $3,000.
Natural and Locally Grown
“We’re offering the more refined experience for cannabis enthusiasts that don’t fall in line with the ‘typical stoner’ mentality,” said Ryan Clark, the owner of Butiq Escapes. “We wanted to be the first out of the gate offering a more sophisticated experience, as no other travel agency in the country seemed to want to touch it, but we’re not shy and we love cannabis, so it was a good fit.”
Clark is not alone, as chefs across the country are jumping on the luxury travel bandwagon. Since October 17, Canadian Kush Tours in Toronto have hosted over a dozen private tours, from a smoked-out tours of upscale vapor lounges to a cannabis wedding bar for $3,000 [$2225] and packages like “Hang with the Herb.” For $400 [$297], one can hang out with a green leaf mascot named Herbert “The Herb” Kushman, who is available for $133 [$99] an hour for corporate events or parties. It may sound like a gimmick but these entrepreneurs are filling a need.
Since Canada’s legalization, Canna Tours, in Victoria, BC, has seen a surge in bookings for the new year, as they tend to draw the VIP party crowd looking for a novelty limo smoke.
Educational Cannabis-infused
Though it sounds like party central, there’s more to it than just light up and blaze—there’s an educational aspect on microdosing, edibles, vaping, and beyond. “Our customers seem to enjoy learning about the different kinds of ways to consume cannabis,” said Surerus. “We explore the different benefits of how topical, edibles, and concentrated cannabis can be an alternative to the traditional method of just smoking the plant.”
Cannabis infused dining is on the rise by Travis Petersen, an Edmonton cannabis chef and owner of The Nomad Cook, who throws “secret” dinners across the country. For $175 [$130], each guest (over the age of 19) gets a five-course, cannabis-infused meal, where Petersen micro-doses for every person’s tolerance. Alcohol isn’t served, but they do have CBD-infused mocktails.
It seems that Elon Musk isn’t the only bigwig smoking fat blunts. Clark claims his clientele at Butiq Escapes are mostly Fortune500 CEOs and their names can’t be disclosed. They’re “from places where their own governments have forbade them from using cannabis,” said Clark. “That’s an issue we have to delicately dance around because some foreign governments might cause problems for our clients if they were to find out.”