Cannabis tourism is a section of the tourism industry and cannabis industry in Portland, Oregon, one of the first U.S. cities to legalize adult consumption under Ballot Measure 91 in 2014.
Northwest Cannabis Club (also called NW Cannabis Club or NWCC) was a members-only cannabis consumption lounge in Portland, Oregon. Members-only clubs opened after the Oregon Indoor Clean Air Act was amended in 2015 to outlaw cannabis smoke in public locations. [1] Many clubs closed during the COVID pandemic. Flight Lounge opened after the pandemic, in 2023, "Portland's answer to an Amsterdam coffee house". [2] One company incorporates bicycle culture in a "bicycle tour of legal weed" in the city. [3]
The official tax-funded tourism agency Travel Portland includes a section on "safe spaces for cannabis tourism" on its website. [4] The agency has acknowledged cannabis tourism since at least 2017 in its promotion of tourism in Portland. [5]
A 2024 analysis of "weed friendly" lodging rentals for vacationers (including data from Airbnb and others) showed that Portland was third least expensive cannabis tourism destination in the country, behind Spokane and Columbus. [6]
While recreational use, possession and trade of non-medicinal drugs described by the Opium Law are all technically illegal under Dutch law, official policy since the late 20th century has been to openly tolerate all recreational use while tolerating possession and trade under certain circumstances. This pragmatic approach was motivated by the idea that a drug-free Dutch society is unrealistic and unattainable, and efforts would be better spent trying to minimize harm caused by recreational drug use. As a result of this gedoogbeleid, the Netherlands is typically seen as much more tolerant of drugs than most other countries.
Recreational drug tourism is travel for the purpose of obtaining or using drugs for recreational use that are unavailable, illegal or very expensive in one's home jurisdiction. A drug tourist may cross a national border to obtain a drug that is not sold in one's home country, or to obtain an illegal drug that is more available in the visited destination. A drug tourist may also cross a sub-national border to do the same, as in cannabis tourism, or purchase alcohol or tobacco more easily, or at a lower price due to tax laws or other regulations.
In the Netherlands, coffeeshops are a type of cannabis retail outlet, establishments where the sale of cannabis for personal consumption by the public is tolerated by the local authorities.
A Cannabis Social Club (CSC), sometimes called Cannabis Club, Cannabis Association, or Teapad, is a type of cannabis retail outlet, an industry model for regulated cannabis organised as non-profit cooperatives in which cannabis is cultivated, shared, and enjoyed collectively, usually for the purpose of relaxing or for social communion.
Cannabis culture describes a social atmosphere or series of associated social behaviors that depend heavily upon cannabis consumption, particularly as an entheogen, recreational drug and medicine.
CC Slaughters is a gay bar and nightclub located in Portland, Oregon, and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. The Portland bar is located in the Old Town Chinatown neighborhood, and the Puerto Vallarta bar is located in Zona Romántica.
The "Burnside Burn" was an event held on the Burnside Bridge in Portland, Oregon, starting at midnight on July 1, 2015, the day recreational marijuana became legal in the U.S. state of Oregon. It was organized by Portland NORML, the local chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, having originated from its executive director, who wanted to photograph himself in front of the White Stag sign in the moments after Oregon Ballot Measure 91 took effect. The crowd, larger than anticipated, numbered in the thousands and at times blocked traffic lanes on the bridge. Some attendees wanted to commemorate the moment, while others were motivated by announcements of free marijuana and seeds. No fines were issued for consumption in public. The event was covered by cannabis publications, local and national news outlets, and the HBO television series Vice.
"Weed the People", officially "Weed the People: A Cannabis Legalization Celebration", was an event held in Portland on July 3, 2015, two days after recreational marijuana became legal in the U.S. state of Oregon. Sponsored by the Portland Mercury and two cannabis companies, the event was attended by an estimated 1,500–2,000 people, who were provided up to seven grams of marijuana for immediate consumption or to take home. Organizers complied with restrictions on recreational sales by distributing free cannabis and required attendees to pay an entry fee. More than 1,300 tickets were sold, but the building's 500-person capacity meant long wait times to enter. Media outlets reported on the historic nature of the event, which was described as a "stoner's paradise" and a celebration of freedom.
Cannabis tourism in the United States is a form of drug tourism that exists in recreationally legal cannabis states. As of May 2023, 23 states, Washington, D.C., and Guam have legalized recreational cannabis.
Minors and the legality of cannabis is one of the issues around the legalisation of cannabis, with most jurisdictions placing strict age limits in a similar way as is done with the drinking age for alcohol.
Cannabis dispensaries in the United States or marijuana dispensaries are a type of cannabis retail outlet, local government-regulated physical location, typically inside a retail storefront or office building, in which a person can purchase cannabis and cannabis-related items for medical or recreational use.
Cannabis in Nevada became legal for recreational use on January 1, 2017, following the passage of Question 2 on the 2016 ballot with 54% of the vote. The first licensed sales of recreational cannabis began on July 1, 2017.
Terms related to cannabis include:
A budtender is a title of a staff member who works within a dispensary or store where medical or recreational cannabis is sold. Their job is to offer suggestions to customers, answer questions, handle products and showcase products being sold.
Local Lounge was a gay bar in Portland, Oregon, operating from 2010 to 2021.
Cannabis tourism, also called marijuana tourism, is travel/tourism related to cannabis or incorporating cannabis use.
Abi Roach is a Canadian cannabis entrepreneur and advocate for the reform of cannabis in Ontario and Canada.
There are various intersections of cannabis and the restaurant industry.
'Where are people supposed to smoke? If you're over 21, you should be able to walk into a private business and consume it responsibly.'...positioned to be Portland's answer to an Amsterdam coffee house
The Members-Only Club Provides a Needed Service for Those Who Can't Consume at Home