Cannabis tourism is now an estimated $1.7 billion industry, according to Forbes. From California’s historic Oakland to the mists of Portland, Maine, cities have realized mixing travel and cannabis is a perfect blend.
The prime cannabis vacations destinations, bolstered by booming cannabis markets, are increasingly rolling out weed-friendly B&Bs, farm tours, visits to famous dispensaries, bus tours and recreational activities based around herb.
Upgraded Points, a news and resource site focused on travel and the credit card industry, has published a 420-friendly study breaking down the average cost of a cannabis vacation in 50 major U.S. cities, as well as the top ten cities to pack your bags and hit for a canna-cation.
The ranking were calculated on 10 criteria: The average cost of round-trip airfare; the average nightly price at weed-friendly accommodations; number of weed-friendly Airbnbs; the average cost of rideshare; number of dispensaries; the average cost for a quarter-ounce of weed, number of guided cannabis tours; the average price of weed-friendly experiences on Eventbrite and the number of available fast food restaurants.
The Top Ten Cities for a Cannabis Vacation
1. Denver, Colorado
2. Portland, Maine
3. Oakland, California
4. Boulder, Colorado
5. Portland, Oregon
6. Scottsdale, Arizona
7. Henderson, Nevada
8. Colorado Springs, Colorado
9. San Jose, California
10. Las Vegas, Nevada
Denver takes the top spot where travelers can stay at a 420-friendly accommodation for under $176 a night on average — compare that rate to $279 in Los Angeles or $270 in Reno, NV. What’s more, Denver has over 64 licensed dispensaries per 100,000 people and the average cannabis tourist can purchase a quarter ounce of weed for a little over $60.
Portland, ME. (#2) and Henderson, NV. (#7) landed in the top 10, largely due to their high number of weed-friendly stays with respect to their population size. The two cities have 102 and 118 cannabis-friendly Airbnb listings per 100,000 people, respectively.
Portland, OR. is the fifth-best city for a cannabis vacation, home to 9 guided cannabis bus tours and where a tourist can purchase a quarter ounce of marijuana for nearly $50 on average. To boot, the average cost to attend a 420-friendly experience in Portland (think weed-infused yoga classes or “wake and bake” drag brunches) is under $20.
Other Key Findings from the Study:
- The most cost-efficient destinations for a cannabis vacation are Oakland, CA. and Spokane, WA., where a tourist can enjoy a four-day canna-cation for $1,068 and $1,135, respectively. Vacations in both cities are over 22% cheaper than the national average cost of $1,262.
- The cost of a cannabis vacation is noticeably cheaper in western states like Colorado, California, and Washington where adult, recreational weed usage has been legal for six to ten years.
- An ounce of weed is most expensive in Washington, D.C., Virginia, Ill., and Vermont. In D.C., an ounce of high-quality dope costs $590.50 — almost twice the national average cost of $294.68.
To read the full report, visit here.