The events of recent months – which, at no risk of ambiguity, will not be discussed here – have created something of a roadblock for nearly every industry that was, just twelve months ago, thriving in the global marketplace.
Not least among those industries is the world of travel and tourism which, on both a local, national and international level, has ground to a halt for nigh-on twelve months.
There are plenty of ideas swirling about the best ways to restart the world of travel when circumstances allow, and forecasts for how that side of life will have changed for good. The notion of harnessing the new freedom surrounding marijuana usage holds plenty of potential for the industry, and offers an exciting new normal for millions of people. Read more below.
It Began at the Heyday of Commercial Air Travel
Of course, the notion of cannabis-related tourism is nothing new – it is, in reality, the driving force behind the sheer quantity of strains we now have today.
Take, for instance, the foundational strains that each gave rise to the many thousands of iterations and hybrids that exist at this very moment. Leading cannabis researcher Cannigma have curated a wealth of knowledge on this subject, and their recent article, What is Kush, delves into the fascinating, transcontinental journey that this strain made from the ageless mountain communities of Afghanistan, through the mid-twentieth century, to Los Angeles of the 1990s.
This journey is indicative of a turning point within the world of travel – back when commercial, international flights were almost as rare as they are now, in December of 2020 – and in the world of marijuana use, which made great advances thanks to this new, potent strain from Southern Asia.
It was Already Gaining Momentum
A little more than halfway through 2019, the New York Times covered a new trend toward cannabis tourism that was already sweeping through the entire country. As legalization gradually superseded legal condemnation – and the number of states that welcomed not only medical marijuana, but recreational too, began to outnumber those who continued to repudiate the idea – it became clear quite how versatile and lucrative the market for marijuana really was.
In far flung areas of the world, the story remains the same. Thailand is already planning to attract the attention of foreign businesses through medicinal cannabis tours in 2021 and beyond, while many are already rallying to ensure that Canada’s flourishing cannabis industry earns a dominant spot in their economic recovery plan, and the revival of both national and international tourism. Mexico is moving closer to legalizing its use among adults, while rumors circulate that Spain is not far off setting a new trend across Europe.
The same values which first gave rise to cannabis-related tourism can hold true today. While the world of cannabis strains has, through significant growth, effectively shrunk down in the same way that the world itself has grown smaller as a result of commercial travel, the attraction remains.
We may not continue to find original strains that have not been created from the building-block strains we know already, but we will be able to enjoy the process of sampling new tastes, experiencing new methods and rituals surrounding use of the drug, and branch out from our well-trodden corners of the world to enjoy a new way of enjoying the things we love.
Consider the indomitable popularity of foody tourism. These days, we can experience some of the most geographically disparate cuisines on the planet without ever leaving our home cities – but something is lost, and can only be found by stepping outside of the grooves of everyday life and experiencing it at its source.
Marijuana boasts just as much of a rich and emotive history as food, and there is plenty to be gained from training our sights on those pivotal locations and cultures peppered across the globe.
