Do you think that the legalization of recreational marijuana will make Colorado a big tourist destination? (Denver: ski resort, rent)

[judd2401]

I think it will be a destination for those who are afraid to purchase MJ illegally and who also want quality MJ that is not sprayed with chemicals to make it hallucinogenic, and they also want details on the strength, etc. It will make CO a lot of money, and I think once other states find out how much money can be made, it will slowly be legalized across the country.

[Colorado^]

There's always edibles and vaporization.

[Sonic_Spork]

Originally Posted by judd2401

I think it will be a destination for those who are afraid to purchase MJ illegally and who also want quality MJ that is not sprayed with chemicals to make it hallucinogenic, and they also want details on the strength, etc. It will make CO a lot of money, and I think once other states find out how much money can be made, it will slowly be legalized across the country.

I only wish I could be as optimistic.

I think that economically, the nation is slowly waking up to the reality that "spend money you don't have to boost the economy and everything will be great!" was a lie. People without decent income have to struggle to survive, and people with decent income are paying off debt. (I hope.) I think that there might be a really small percentage of people who might have been interested in coming here anyways and perhaps being able to legally smoke might be one more reason to... but... People with money to spend on tourism, how many of them also have jobs that drug test? Plenty. I think that the tourism effect will be very, very limited.

(I'm still all for legalization, but I don't think that's one of the big benefits that is likely to happen.)

What I see probably happening that makes me a little disheartened, is that there are TONS of young stoners all over the nation who are out of work or can't find decent work...I know a dozen just in Florida...and they all seem to think they can just move to a state that's legalized, find a job doing something weed related since they are passionate about it, and sit around and happily toke all day. That's not a good plan, or a good idea, and I predict many of these young people--if they actually make it here--will fail. Don't get me wrong, there is opportunity here to succeed for a young person...but like anywhere, they've got to have a plan that doesn't revolve around entitlement and self indulgence, be prepared to make sacrifices and work hard, and maybe they'll get ahead. I worry a bit about this sort of thing. These people are not tourists, they might become a liability and a burden on our society.

But...nowhere near the burden that prisons full of drug war victims has been for decades.

I'm also crossing my fingers that the Feds don't see fit to storm the dispensaries and arrest the camps of celebratory waiting customers tonight. I've seen "interactive" Google maps show up on the local news' Facebook pinpointing every shop in the state. What is to stop them? Here's hoping this doesn't get ugly...

[Mike from back east]

Not sure what will happen, but Wall Street is watching this as someone is estimating $578M in annual sales.

I don't see tons of visitors coming here since MJ is so readily available in every community in the nation.

I foresee an initial surge from the newness factor before settling down into a routine biz by the end of 2014.

[GoneNative]

No

[alostbard]

I believe there will be a huge difference between instate tourism and out-of-state tourism.

For instate tourism, the "wet" rec/can areas will benefit from the "dry" rec/can areas. The contrast between Colorado Springs and Pueblo will be a perfect example.

For out-of-state, tourism... well, not so much. Very quickly, tourists will discover that there is almost nowhere to legally consume the legal cannabis they just bought. Almost all hotels are not allowing smoking cannabis, even if the guest rents a smoking room. You cannot legally consume cannabis at the place of business that you bought it. You cannot legally consume cannabis in any public area, ONLY on private property. You can bring up examples of hiding it here and there, but that defeats the purpose of being LEGAL in the first place. The main reason people will pay more for legal weed is because they actually WANT to abide by the law. (Seems like a great money-making idea for property owners to provide a cannabis-friendly environment for tourists...)

That brings up one of my few disgruntlements with CO's rec/can; the exorbitant taxes! Hopefully, CO citizens will soon realize they overtaxed themselves right out of competition with the underground pot trade. It seems the majority of the business owners wanted the tax revenue benefits of recreational cannabis, but not the actual cannabis in their vicinity.

[Sonic_Spork]

You know what I think would be cool, if this thing works out, and I wouldn't back it as a theoretical investor until at least a few years and knowing how and whether the whole "legal pot" thing is going to work... but if it did...

Pot resorts and other businesses, private businesses on private property, that specifically catered to the need for people to have a venue to smoke in. Now if THAT idea took off, and if the nation's economy improved a little more in general, I could see some people traveling here for pot tourism from out of state. Maybe.

I think if I were remotely interested in ever smoking again I'd be more interested in a "weed-cation" than picking it up as a habit.

I'm imagining a resort with a private movie theater perpetually showing stuff like Monty Python, Cheech & Chong, and other comedies that are so much better when you're baked. Room service that delivers Twinkies. A shuttle in case you have to go anywhere and a requirement to turn in your keys when you check in and out. Hey...it could work. I could see celebrities visiting if it's posh enough...

(Of course, the lame grown up I am now is thinking more of profiting off such a thing, than enjoying it as a patron. My teenage self is ashamed...lol...)

[Florida2014]

Originally Posted by sammy87

If you can't smoke cigarettes anywhere any more in public, I cant see weed being an exception.

I misspoke, it could be legal to CONSUME weed in a bar such as the one that was thwarted by Denver not necessarily smoke. Weed is now readily available in a number of smoke-free edibles and candies. They could skirt the smoking ban by offering brownies, candy, inhalers, granola bars, etc. Always a way around things.

[alostbard]

You darned kids... GET OFF MY LAWN!

... and go get a job so you can pay for my social security!

[rubygreta]

Spend hundreds of dollars for a plane ticket to Denver so you can buy weed legally, instead of using your monthly subway pass in NYC (no additional charge) to buy it illegally.

Sure. Big tourism boom coming to Colorado. Right.