'Tips for aliens in New York:
Land anywhere, Central Park, anywhere. No one will care, or indeed even notice.
Surviving: Get a job as a cab driver immediately. A cab driver's job is to drive people anywhere they want to go in big yellow machines called taxis. Don't worry if you don't know how the machine works and you can't speak the language, don't understand the geography or indeed the basic physics of the area, and have large green antennae growing out of your head. Believe me, this is the best way of staying inconspicuous. If your body is really weird try showing it to people in the streets for money.
Amphibious life forms from any of the worlds in the Swulling, Noxios or Nausalia systems will particularly enjoy the East River, which is said to be richer in those lovely life-giving nutrients than the finest and virulent laboratory slime yet achieved.
Having fun: This is the big section. It is impossible to have more fun without electrocuting your pleasure centres...'
- The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, The Complete Trilogy of Five, Douglas Adams
- The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, The Complete Trilogy of Five, Douglas Adams
After the cannabis plant was prohibited worldwide, some places gained great popularity for a new kind of tourism. These places, like Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Malana Valley, Varanasi, Katmandu, Goa, etc became hubs of what is known as cannabis tourism. People from all over the world flock to these places to access the cannabis plant for recreational use. These places sell the plant to the general public, mostly tourists, who consume the herb locally. Local laws regarding cannabis in these places are essentially legal grey areas. Official laws prohibit cannabis sales and consumption but local law enforcement authorities generally turn a blind eye and consider cannabis as a soft drug. Such has been the popularity of this cannabis based tourism that these places have emerged as legendary destinations with global renown. However they were few and far between, not accessible or too expensive for most people.
With the start of the legalization wave in Uruguay, Canada, Malta, Luxembourg, and some states in the US, we are seeing the transformation of the cannabis tourism industry from an underground tourism category to a more significant form of tourism. Denver, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, to name a few places, are now starting to boast of cannabis tourism options that rival the traditional places mentioned above. Combining cannabis tourism with skiing, city walks, food and wine tasting, and other traditional touristic pursuits is fast emerging as major activities in the newly legalized cannabis destinations. Social consumption areas such as lounges, cannabis events, music and arts festivals, sports events, etc are now fueling this rapidly growing and exciting new tourism category. Cannabis regulations are constantly being reworked in these places to make it easier for the tourist or any cannabis user. E.g. Denver recently officially approved the consumption of cannabis in tour buses. Many places are ruling that cannabis can be smoked in any place where tobacco can be smoked. Many places are finding out that their sagging revenues receive a boost through increased cannabis tourism footfalls. The cannabis tourism industry has the potential to revive the economies of a number of places world wide, especially through integrating local art and culture, cuisine, traditional medicine, and geography with indigenous varieties of cannabis.
There are hundreds of places world wide with huge potential for cannabis tourism if cannabis were legalized. Currently, cannabis tourism is a discrete experience since, officially, cannabis is illegal everywhere. The issues with this kind of a situation are many. The local law enforcement can, at any time, decide to bring legal action on the seller or the tourist. The cannabis may be adulterated by the seller to maximize profits. The seller and local law enforcement usually have an understanding based on profit sharing. The money from the cannabis sales is unaccounted for and may be funding more dangerous criminal activities and groups. The tourist is highly vulnerable as the cannabis is procured in the black market. Many tourists are victims of crime but are unable to seek legal help due to the illegal nature of the cannabis transaction. Cannabis is likely to be sold to minors as well. The dealer may up-sell other, much more dangerous drugs, such as methamphetamine and heroin, for a higher profit. Poor cannabis farmers who grow good quality cannabis are unlikely to get direct access to tourists and the right prices. Their interaction with the tourist is most likely through the nexus of law enforcement and the established black market. The cannabis may not be grown locally, as would have been ideal, but is likely to be smuggled from distant parts of the country, or even other countries , adding to the costs, risks of adulteration and a non-optimal way of doing business with the cannabis plant. Many tourists who would like to access the cannabis - such as the elderly, the ill or persons without local knowledge - who generally form the bulk of tourists are not able to access cannabis, especially good quality cannabis from reliable sources. Tourists themselves smuggle cannabis from these tourist places to other countries, forming an international drug trafficking network that involves cannabis getting exported illegally, and other drugs getting imported. This results in the loss of cannabis related revenue for locals, as well as a flooding of the local tourist spot with much more dangerous drugs and international criminal elements whose operations also involve serious crimes like arms trade, human trafficking and violent crime, besides cannabis smuggling. All these factors result in a non-ideal situation when it comes to cannabis tourism, chiefly due to the illegal status of the herb.
Emerging tourist spots that have legalized cannabis have been able to address most of the above issues and redirect the economic benefits into the local tourism industry and local culture, thus boosting it. These places hold great promise, as the legal cannabis tourism industry is just in its fledgling stages. As more and more places around the world legalize, as the idea of local cannabis varieties with geographical indicator tags enable the possibility to provide a unique, authentic and wonderful local experience, as people and societies shed their inhibitions with regard to cannabis, this will surely become a very significant tourism related industry which no country or culture can afford to ignore for very long. A lot of countries suffering under tremendous economic pressure, which is nearly every country post the coronavirus pandemic, have the opportunity to include cannabis tourism as a way to boost tourism revenue.
With the start of the legalization wave in Uruguay, Canada, Malta, Luxembourg, and some states in the US, we are seeing the transformation of the cannabis tourism industry from an underground tourism category to a more significant form of tourism. Denver, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, to name a few places, are now starting to boast of cannabis tourism options that rival the traditional places mentioned above. Combining cannabis tourism with skiing, city walks, food and wine tasting, and other traditional touristic pursuits is fast emerging as major activities in the newly legalized cannabis destinations. Social consumption areas such as lounges, cannabis events, music and arts festivals, sports events, etc are now fueling this rapidly growing and exciting new tourism category. Cannabis regulations are constantly being reworked in these places to make it easier for the tourist or any cannabis user. E.g. Denver recently officially approved the consumption of cannabis in tour buses. Many places are ruling that cannabis can be smoked in any place where tobacco can be smoked. Many places are finding out that their sagging revenues receive a boost through increased cannabis tourism footfalls. The cannabis tourism industry has the potential to revive the economies of a number of places world wide, especially through integrating local art and culture, cuisine, traditional medicine, and geography with indigenous varieties of cannabis.
There are hundreds of places world wide with huge potential for cannabis tourism if cannabis were legalized. Currently, cannabis tourism is a discrete experience since, officially, cannabis is illegal everywhere. The issues with this kind of a situation are many. The local law enforcement can, at any time, decide to bring legal action on the seller or the tourist. The cannabis may be adulterated by the seller to maximize profits. The seller and local law enforcement usually have an understanding based on profit sharing. The money from the cannabis sales is unaccounted for and may be funding more dangerous criminal activities and groups. The tourist is highly vulnerable as the cannabis is procured in the black market. Many tourists are victims of crime but are unable to seek legal help due to the illegal nature of the cannabis transaction. Cannabis is likely to be sold to minors as well. The dealer may up-sell other, much more dangerous drugs, such as methamphetamine and heroin, for a higher profit. Poor cannabis farmers who grow good quality cannabis are unlikely to get direct access to tourists and the right prices. Their interaction with the tourist is most likely through the nexus of law enforcement and the established black market. The cannabis may not be grown locally, as would have been ideal, but is likely to be smuggled from distant parts of the country, or even other countries , adding to the costs, risks of adulteration and a non-optimal way of doing business with the cannabis plant. Many tourists who would like to access the cannabis - such as the elderly, the ill or persons without local knowledge - who generally form the bulk of tourists are not able to access cannabis, especially good quality cannabis from reliable sources. Tourists themselves smuggle cannabis from these tourist places to other countries, forming an international drug trafficking network that involves cannabis getting exported illegally, and other drugs getting imported. This results in the loss of cannabis related revenue for locals, as well as a flooding of the local tourist spot with much more dangerous drugs and international criminal elements whose operations also involve serious crimes like arms trade, human trafficking and violent crime, besides cannabis smuggling. All these factors result in a non-ideal situation when it comes to cannabis tourism, chiefly due to the illegal status of the herb.
Emerging tourist spots that have legalized cannabis have been able to address most of the above issues and redirect the economic benefits into the local tourism industry and local culture, thus boosting it. These places hold great promise, as the legal cannabis tourism industry is just in its fledgling stages. As more and more places around the world legalize, as the idea of local cannabis varieties with geographical indicator tags enable the possibility to provide a unique, authentic and wonderful local experience, as people and societies shed their inhibitions with regard to cannabis, this will surely become a very significant tourism related industry which no country or culture can afford to ignore for very long. A lot of countries suffering under tremendous economic pressure, which is nearly every country post the coronavirus pandemic, have the opportunity to include cannabis tourism as a way to boost tourism revenue.
Related articles
The following set of articles related to the subject are taken from various media. Words in italics are the thoughts of yours truly at the time of reading the article. 'Nevada marijuana companies are mapping out plans to open consumption lounges next year under a new state law with the goal of serving the tens of millions of visitors who flock to Las Vegas annually.
Until now, tourists buying cannabis products in Sin City’s retail stores have had no place to smoke, eat or consume their purchases because it’s illegal to do so in public.
Moreover, consumption is not allowed in Las Vegas casinos or the city’s approximately 150,000 hotel rooms.
That has put a damper on sales to out-of-state visitors in this tourist-reliant city. In 2019, Las Vegas attracted more than 42 million visitors.'
https://mjbizdaily.com/nevada-marijuana-firms-ready-consumption-lounges-to-serve-tourist-throngs/
Until now, tourists buying cannabis products in Sin City’s retail stores have had no place to smoke, eat or consume their purchases because it’s illegal to do so in public.
Moreover, consumption is not allowed in Las Vegas casinos or the city’s approximately 150,000 hotel rooms.
That has put a damper on sales to out-of-state visitors in this tourist-reliant city. In 2019, Las Vegas attracted more than 42 million visitors.'
https://mjbizdaily.com/nevada-marijuana-firms-ready-consumption-lounges-to-serve-tourist-throngs/
'The history of every Galactic civilization tends to pass through three distinct and recognizable phases, those of Survival, Enquiry and Sophistication, otherwise known as the How, Why and Where phases.
'For instance, the first phase is characterized by the question How can we eat?, the second by the question Why do we eat?, and the third by the question Where shall we have lunch?'
- The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, The Complete Trilogy of Five, Douglas Adams
'For instance, the first phase is characterized by the question How can we eat?, the second by the question Why do we eat?, and the third by the question Where shall we have lunch?'
- The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, The Complete Trilogy of Five, Douglas Adams
'Chicago gets most of the love and attention when it comes to Illinois weed, but the state’s cannabis scene isn’t limited to the big city. There are a lot of great cannabis options to explore in other regions, too. So be sure to consider other areas of the state when you’re looking for weed culture.
Here are six surprising options for 420-friendly days and nights in Illinois.'
https://www.leafly.com/news/lifestyle/6-surprising-ways-to-enjoy-cannabis-in-illinois
Here are six surprising options for 420-friendly days and nights in Illinois.'
https://www.leafly.com/news/lifestyle/6-surprising-ways-to-enjoy-cannabis-in-illinois
'The government in North Macedonia is considering allowing recreational use of marijuana in cafes and hospitality places in the capital, Skopje, and in other tourist hotspots, like the lakeside town of Ohrid, Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said.
“The idea is to allow consumption of marijuana in cafes, both in existing and new ones, and in tourist places, including Skopje, if they respect certain standards on ventilation, proof of origin of the marijuana and so on,” Zaev told Deutsche Welle.
He added that the government envisages strict regulation in this sphere, taking Amsterdam in the Netherlands as an example.'
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/north-macedonia-may-legalize-marijuana-to-boost-tourism-prime-minister-says/
“The idea is to allow consumption of marijuana in cafes, both in existing and new ones, and in tourist places, including Skopje, if they respect certain standards on ventilation, proof of origin of the marijuana and so on,” Zaev told Deutsche Welle.
He added that the government envisages strict regulation in this sphere, taking Amsterdam in the Netherlands as an example.'
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/north-macedonia-may-legalize-marijuana-to-boost-tourism-prime-minister-says/
'Given the importance of patients knowing the laws regarding medical cannabis in the jurisdictions they visit, Americans for Safe Access (ASA), the largest national member-based organization promoting safe and legal access to cannabis for therapeutic use and research, has created The Medical Cannabis Patient’s Guide for U.S. Travel. This guide will help patients understand the laws in the states and territories in which they are eligible to obtain medical cannabis so that they may do so safely and legally'
https://www.safeaccessnow.org/travel
'“[L]egalization in Colorado is associated with an increase of nearly 51,000 hotel rooms rented per month [and] once commercial sale is permitted, there is an increase of almost 120,000 room rentals per month”
Meanwhile, Colorado’s hotel industry saw monthly revenue increase by $9.33 million (6.75 percent) after the change in possession law and roughly $23.71 million (11 percent) after marijuana stores opened.
“Marijuana tourism had an economically significant as well as statistically significant effect on the hotel industry in Colorado,” the study concluded.'
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/legalizing-marijuana-boosts-hotel-bookings-as-cannabis-tourism-takes-off-study-shows/
Build medical tourism on sustainable natural medicine such as cannabis, psilocybin, ayahuasca, peyote, palm toddy, coca and natural opium that are endemic to destination countries rather than on unsustainable, harmful and expensive pharmaceutical medicine...then tourism, medicine and medical tourism will flourish as will global health....
'The lop-sidedness in government priorities has skewed the narrative on medical tourism from that of a catalyst for socioeconomic development, health sector improvement and universal health coverage to a vehicle for economic growth and healthcare outsourcing. This divergence has created policy overlaps, tensions and fault lines between the Global North and South. While there is cross-national directional convergence in efforts to facilitate the travel of medical tourists, there remain critical gaps that cause treatment complications and hamper continuity of care in source countries, disadvantage vulnerable groups in destination countries, and create health inequities between source and destination countries.'
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7178960/
'Since you can’t spend all your time holed up in Amsterdam’s many coffeeshops (well, you can, but we won’t judge) then consider a fun post-smoke activity to help you take in the culture of the Netherlands.'
https://www.leafly.com/news/lifestyle/the-10-best-things-to-do-in-amsterdam-while-high
'Simone Sullivan treks up to Frisco, Colorado, for a scenic weed retreat in the small mountain town. She checks out her guide's bong collection before heading out for a snowy hike, and gets blazed for an afternoon of ice fishing. Then she's treated to a THC-infused feast, complete with weed shots, pie, and a hearty bowl of elk chili.'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DKlcWF198o
https://www.leafly.com/news/lifestyle/the-10-best-things-to-do-in-amsterdam-while-high
'Simone Sullivan treks up to Frisco, Colorado, for a scenic weed retreat in the small mountain town. She checks out her guide's bong collection before heading out for a snowy hike, and gets blazed for an afternoon of ice fishing. Then she's treated to a THC-infused feast, complete with weed shots, pie, and a hearty bowl of elk chili.'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DKlcWF198o
'Arthur Dent had been in some hell-holes in his life, but he had never before seen a spaceport which had a sign saying, 'Even travelling despondently is better than arriving here.' To welcome visitors the arrivals hall featured a picture of the President of NowWhat, smiling. It was the only picture anybody could find of him, and it had been taken shortly after he had shot himself so although the photo had been retouched as well as could be managed the smile it wore was rather a ghastly one. The side of his head had been drawn back in in crayon. No replacement had been found for the photograph because no replacement had been found for the President. There was only one ambition which anyone on the planet ever had, and that was to leave.'
- The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, The Complete Trilogy of Five, Douglas Adams
You would think that two very obvious measures to take in Israel to handle this if it is perceived to be a real menace would be 1) discontinue mandatory army service 2) legalize recreational cannabis...and India - playing the role of the illicit lover for the benefit of the criminal black markets..
'In fact, a primary Israeli motivation to visit India is to experience drugs. The most commonly used drugs are cannabis-based products (e.g., ganja- Indian marijuana and hashish- Indian jaras), hallucinogenic mushrooms, cacti, ecstasy, and LSD. A real danger exists for Israeli backpackers who use drugs; they may suffer mental and physical damage due to abusive habits. Hundreds of backpackers have been seriously affected by mental illness, including first-episode psychosis, acute psychosis in different degrees of severity, and dual diagnosis due to drug use. Hospitalization in psychiatric wards may be required'
https://ijhpr.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13584-018-0223-2
'Who knows, you might soon hear people saying, "I went to Colorado for the marijuana, but the skiing was also nice."'
https://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/10/141018-marijuana-tourism-weed-pot-colorado-law/
'If you’re going to get high for the first time, may I recommend Colorado? The sky is pretty, the trees won’t judge you, and the breeze will be there when you need it.'
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/30/style/cannabis-colorado-first-time-high.html
'“There’s no definition of ‘public,’ ” Black said. And the state’s laws forbid public consumption. “The city decided … that buses are public, but the bus companies are saying, ‘No, they’re private.’”'
https://www.denverpost.com/2018/09/29/denver-crackdown-on-marijuana-tour-buses/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexandratalty/2018/02/22/a-budget-travelers-guide-to-visiting-denvers-recreational-weed-dispensaries/#1faac68c6f05
'More hotels and resorts plan to offer cannabis-based menu items and wellness treatments, as laws around the country relax toward medicinal and recreational use of the drug. And customers — both locals and guests — seem to be thoroughly enjoying them'
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/03/travel/marijuana-food-hotels-spas.html
'Already big business in legalized areas of the U.S., marijuana tourism could become one of the more lucrative ancillary business sectors in Canada once recreational sales begin Oct. 17.'
https://mjbizdaily.com/canadian-recreational-market-cannabis-tourism-business-opportunities/
'Legalization has changed and expanded how marijuana consumption is viewed in the tourism discipline, which may create the paradigm shift from viewing marijuana as a forbidden fruit to the goose that lays golden eggs. This study examined the current status of marijuana tourism in Colorado, identified several research challenges based on the existing literature, and suggested key areas for future research surrounding marijuana tourism. This overview and set of recommendations is necessary to gain and enrich a deeper understanding of marijuana tourism and to aid other states that attempt to benchmark Colorado in their own legalization process.'
http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2158244016679213
'Simone Sullivan explores the many tourist options available in the weed friendly town of Denver, Colorado.'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlKZIBDUXR8
'Taji Ameen explores the many tourist options available in the weed-friendly city of Amsterdam and meets up with Waka Flocka Flame along the way.'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fL5SQ7enfxI
- The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, The Complete Trilogy of Five, Douglas Adams
You would think that two very obvious measures to take in Israel to handle this if it is perceived to be a real menace would be 1) discontinue mandatory army service 2) legalize recreational cannabis...and India - playing the role of the illicit lover for the benefit of the criminal black markets..
'In fact, a primary Israeli motivation to visit India is to experience drugs. The most commonly used drugs are cannabis-based products (e.g., ganja- Indian marijuana and hashish- Indian jaras), hallucinogenic mushrooms, cacti, ecstasy, and LSD. A real danger exists for Israeli backpackers who use drugs; they may suffer mental and physical damage due to abusive habits. Hundreds of backpackers have been seriously affected by mental illness, including first-episode psychosis, acute psychosis in different degrees of severity, and dual diagnosis due to drug use. Hospitalization in psychiatric wards may be required'
https://ijhpr.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13584-018-0223-2
'Who knows, you might soon hear people saying, "I went to Colorado for the marijuana, but the skiing was also nice."'
https://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/10/141018-marijuana-tourism-weed-pot-colorado-law/
'If you’re going to get high for the first time, may I recommend Colorado? The sky is pretty, the trees won’t judge you, and the breeze will be there when you need it.'
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/30/style/cannabis-colorado-first-time-high.html
'“There’s no definition of ‘public,’ ” Black said. And the state’s laws forbid public consumption. “The city decided … that buses are public, but the bus companies are saying, ‘No, they’re private.’”'
https://www.denverpost.com/2018/09/29/denver-crackdown-on-marijuana-tour-buses/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexandratalty/2018/02/22/a-budget-travelers-guide-to-visiting-denvers-recreational-weed-dispensaries/#1faac68c6f05
'More hotels and resorts plan to offer cannabis-based menu items and wellness treatments, as laws around the country relax toward medicinal and recreational use of the drug. And customers — both locals and guests — seem to be thoroughly enjoying them'
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/03/travel/marijuana-food-hotels-spas.html
'Already big business in legalized areas of the U.S., marijuana tourism could become one of the more lucrative ancillary business sectors in Canada once recreational sales begin Oct. 17.'
https://mjbizdaily.com/canadian-recreational-market-cannabis-tourism-business-opportunities/
'Legalization has changed and expanded how marijuana consumption is viewed in the tourism discipline, which may create the paradigm shift from viewing marijuana as a forbidden fruit to the goose that lays golden eggs. This study examined the current status of marijuana tourism in Colorado, identified several research challenges based on the existing literature, and suggested key areas for future research surrounding marijuana tourism. This overview and set of recommendations is necessary to gain and enrich a deeper understanding of marijuana tourism and to aid other states that attempt to benchmark Colorado in their own legalization process.'
http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2158244016679213
'Simone Sullivan explores the many tourist options available in the weed friendly town of Denver, Colorado.'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlKZIBDUXR8
'Taji Ameen explores the many tourist options available in the weed-friendly city of Amsterdam and meets up with Waka Flocka Flame along the way.'
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fL5SQ7enfxI
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