Just like wine, British Columbia is also known for its bud.
That was evident during the second annual cannabis summit in Kelowna, B.C., where a new study says there’s a major market for cannabis tourism.
“There is a market for this,” said Susan Dupej, president of the Canadian Cannabis Tourism Alliance, “for new products for people who want to try new products and tourism, hospitality experiences provide this context for people to do that.”
Essentially, the study looked at the potential demand for cannabis tourism in Canada, and what drives people to travel to participate in cannabis-included activities.
Of those activities, edibles were the most desirable method of consumption within the study.
“Eating an infused meal, this is an accessible way for people to try cannabis for the first time or a beverage or an infused edible of some kind,” said Dupej, who is also a researcher at the University of Guelph in Ontario.
The survey revealed that B.C. is the top tourism destination for cannabis, followed by Ontario and Alberta.
While cannabis is one obvious factor, where you can consume it also part of the equation.
“The outdoors, the Okanagan Valley, just look around,” said Dupej.
In related news, the ongoing review of the federal Cannabis Act and the role that Indigenous communities play is up for discussion
“I think First Nations, right from the beginning of cannabis legislation, have wanted more involvement consultations to discuss how First Nation jurisdictional issues and cannabis legislation work together to create an industry for Indigenous participation,” said Darwin Douglas, All Nations CEO.
“There are a lot of amazing ideas that are coming out of our Indigenous partners,” added Jaclynn Pehota, B.C. Cannabis Council executive director.
“And I think the government would be very wise to listen because not having listened in the past has not had a positive outcome for anybody.”
One major concern surrounding cannabis tourism is spaces for consumption, since every part of Canada has different laws regarding consumption.
“There are inconsistencies,” said Dupej. “Not only is that a problem for citizens, but for tourists.
“We don’t want to put tourists at risk. We don’t want to put tourists in danger unknowingly; that’s one of my concerns.”
Friday was the first day of the three-day summit at the Hotel Eldorado in Kelowna. Different topics will be discussed each day.