My last article on cannabis tourism was such a hit (so to speak) that I decided to take a deeper dive into the how, when, and where of the industry in the United States.
Several states have legalized recreational marijuana for people age 21 and older. It is currently legal in Colorado, Washington, Oregon, Alaska, and Washington, D.C. However, it is still illegal at the federal level. Airports, train stations, cruise ships, and other interstate travel services are controlled by federal laws. Don’t bring any weed or edibles with you when you’re traveling back home. The penalties for marijuana possession in some states are very harsh.
Here are some quick guides to cannabis tourism, in Colorado, Washington, and Oregon. I’ll explore other states in more depth in a future post.
Colorado
Although cannabis is legal in the state, it is still illegal on federal lands like national parks, national forests, and other government properties. A lot of its ski resorts are also in nationally protected forests, so make sure you’re not on federal land before using marijuana.
Public consumption can get you in trouble, so smoke up on private property or in a venue where cannabis “tastings” are being offered.
Driving while high will get you a DUI, and it’s not very smart anyway, so just don’t. There are lots of public transport and ride-sharing options available to you. Use them.
Washington
Many of the same rules that Colorado has apply to Washington as well. The state does have civil fines for public consumption, but the Seattle Police Department has placed marijuana violations as one of its lowest enforcement priorities.
There are lots of recreational marijuana shops, particularly in Seattle, where it seems like there’s one on every block. There is, however, a legal limit to how much you can buy and possess at any given time. You can only buy one ounce (28 grams) of flower, 7 grams of extracts or concentrates (“dabs”), 16 ounces of edibles or 72 ounces of cannabis-infused beverages, and 16 ounces of topicals.
But only buy as much as you can consume while you’re in Washington, because it’s illegal to take it across state lines.
Oregon
Laws and availability of recreational cannabis products are very similar to those of Washington, but with one difference. In Oregon, you can buy seeds or cloned seedlings ready to grow. Four marijuana plants per household is the legal limit, so don’t move to Oregon and start a black-market grow operation.
Prices of marijuana are lower at Oregon recreational stores than they are in Washington because of the difference in taxes between the two states.
You’re still not allowed to take cannabis products, plants, or seeds across state lines or into federally owned parks or buildings. It’s not legal to consume in public, but again, enforcing those laws is a low priority for law enforcement. I don’t recommend consuming in public.
For more information on cannabis tourism, visit Leafly.com or KushTourism.com (although I recommend not doing so at work). Kush Tourism operates cannabis tours in several states, and Leafly has an app that will help you locate marijuana shops and inform you about different strains of cannabis.
Photo: arindambanerjee / Shutterstock.com