Amsterdam’s Cannabis Tourism Fades, but New Global Greenspots Emerge

Amsterdam, a longtime epicenter of cannabis tourism, is scaling back its involvement in the multibillion-dollar industry due to concerns over crime and public disorder.

The city has imposed new regulations, including limiting alcohol sales, earlier closing times for bars, and fines for public marijuana smoking. Amsterdam’s mayor, Femke Halsema, has even proposed banning foreigners from cannabis cafés, potentially reshaping the global cannabis tourism landscape.

This shift, however, is creating opportunities for emerging marijuana destinations, including Thailand, South Africa, and several countries in the Americas, to gain prominence in the world’s weedscape, says a National Geographic report. Thailand, which legalized cannabis use last year, is quickly becoming a major cannabis destination with thousands of dispensaries catering to tourists. However, the country’s cannabis laws remain complex, and a changing political climate makes the future uncertain.

South Africa has also entered the cannabis tourism scene, having decriminalized private cannabis use in 2018. Meanwhile, various U.S. states, Canada, and other Latin American countries have seen the expansion of cannabis tourism, with marijuana-themed accommodations, restaurants, and festivals becoming increasingly popular. Even Germany may potentially join this trend, although lawmakers are cautious about encouraging cannabis tourism as they move forward toward their own form of legalization.