Marijuana tourism in the United States

With the adoption of their historic citizen votes in the 2014 general election, marijuana tourism in the United States, a form of drug tourism, exists in Colorado and Washington state.

In 2014, the travel guide Fodors published a "how to" for marijuana tourists in Washington state. The official Washington tourism website has a FAQ section for marijuana tourism.

In 2013, prior to legalization, the Washington State Liquor Control Board commissioned a study of marijuana legalization on the state, including the impact of tourism. The study, written by Carnegie Mellon University researchers, estimated over 400,000 new visits a year to the state. The Washington State legislature specifically considered tourism in its 2015 I-502 reform. One legal expert stated "Washington’s cannabis tourism industry is in jeopardy" as a result.

Because consumption in public is illegal, rentals like Airbnb include "420 friendly" in descriptions for marijuana tourists, and marijuana tourism rental specialists have sprung up to meet demand.

The actual impact of marijuana tourism is debated. Industry groups say it is significant, but state tourism officials in Washington said there is "fairly low amounts of consumer interest through our visitor information", and in Colorado "We still don’t have any numbers that support that marijuana tourism exists". A NBC News report stated that Hotels.com bookings were up slightly after legalization in both states.

Manitou Springs is a small town in El Paso county, Colorado. It is home to two recreational marijuana dispensaries, the only two in the most populous county in the state. As a direct result of recreational marijuana sales the cities tax base increased. Manitou sales tax collections set a record in July 2014, which included only a few hours of recreational marijuana sales for the month. One operators Manitou Springs location is the(ir) most popular, due to its location at the foot of Pike’s Peak.