Time to put the “can” in cannabis travel, Michigan
Roberta King of CannaCommunications has a great look at cannabis travel & tourism in Michigan that includes some thoughts from the MCT. It leads with:
….a little list of where you can’t consume cannabis in Michigan. Some of it is Michigan law, and some are the preference of property owners.
- In your car or driving or sitting in a vehicle on any Michigan roadway.
- In a boat on a Michigan waterway
- Out in public where anyone can see you smoking
- On private property where cannabis is expressly prohibited
- In most hotel/motel rooms or on hotel property
- Around the campfire at the Michigan State Park or on a state park beach or trail
It truly crimps your options, doesn’t it? Until more properties (hotels, motels and resorts) allow cannabis consumption, travelers will be challenged to find a place to consume. We wondered why this was the case.
“We have yet to see a community fully embrace cannabis; it’s still often held at arm’s length,” Andrew McFarlane from the Michigan Cannabis Trail and MiCHIGO said.
This disconnect is apparent where Michigan’s cannabis stores are most densely located and how they’re not embraced or even recognized by local visitor’s bureaus and Chamber of Commerce entities.
You’d think Ann Arbor, Michigan’s historical epicenter of marijuana, would embrace the plant and stores in its geographical area—but that’s not the case. Unfortunately, it’s difficult for established organizations to change and adopt a formerly illegal substance.
“There are certainly a large group of people who still think that cannabis is a bad thing—and until they’re no longer in leadership positions, we’ll always have roadblocks,” Andrew said.
There’s no legal or ethical reason that a visitor’s bureau can’t list a cannabis business as a traveler’s destination. It’s a matter of will and desire.
Andrew also pointed out that the Visitor’s Bureau in Modesto, California, has its Motown CannaPass that people can register for, which unlocks information and cannabis-friendly businesses in the community. “It’s normalizing the cannabis experience and promoting community businesses—which they should be doing,” he said.
Read on for more at Canna Communications & check out their services for the cannabis industry.
Many more cannatourism stories on the Michigan Cannabis Trail.
