Budding entrepreneurs in British Columbia are hoping to cash in on newly legalized recreational weed with cannabis crawls of “Vansterdam.”
So far legal marijuana is only available in one store in B.C., but many more are expected to follow.
Decriminalization has opened the door to a new industry: cannabis tourism.
And tour operators in Vancouver are taking their lead from south of the border in states like Colorado where private consumption was made legal in 2012.
Tristan Slade of High Definition Tours takes tourists to Vancouver’s dispensaries and so-called pot block, as well as more some more traditional sightseeing stops.
"Surprisingly it's a much older clientele,” he says.
“While they're here, foreigners can definitely partake in the legal recreational market.”
Slade hopes his venture won’t go up in smoke and he already faces competition.
Nick Manko has launched Canada High Tours in Vancouver too, which offers four-hour cooking with cannabis classes and a two-hour joint rolling class.
"We haven't actually had to do too much marketing, people are finding us," he said.
Tours that pair cannabis with food are already popular in Colorado.
Philip Wolf of Cultivating Spirits, which provides “crafted culinary cannabis experiences,” told CTVNews Vancouver: “The indica flavours of grounding and spice naturally go with red meat."
--- With files from CTV Vancouver’s Ross McLaughlin
