Colorado will forever be the poster child for the U.S. marijuana legalization movement. While the drug has long been a part of the state’s laid-back culture, it’s never felt so ingrained into mainstream society. Now, inspired by the craft beer movement, some savvy providers are offering brewery-style tours complete with tasting lounge visits, grow room tours, and “souvenir” gift shopping. Here are a few of our favorites.
My 420 Tours
My 420 Tours is a one-stop tour shop that’s been pioneering Colorado’s cannabis tourism industry since 2013. Their most basic tours include stepping aboard a purpose-built, 420-friendly “cannabus” and visiting the state’s premier growing operations and cannabis outlets. The site also connects travelers with hands-on experiences like infused cooking classes, infused massages, sushi- and joint-rolling classes, and “Budz and Sudz” craft beer and weed combo tours. Travelers looking for even more can book a full-fledged, all-inclusive vacation with a 420-friendly hotel and complimentary in-room smoking/vaping machines.
Seed & Smith Premium Crafted Cannabis Tour
For a boutique experience, Denver-based Seed & Smith’s guided tour invites visitors to explore a working “seed to sale” cannabis cultivation operation with a focus on small-batch production. The free tour takes guests through the entire process, from growing to extracting to refining the raw materials into a finished product. This is an in-depth, educational, museum-style tour that explores the unique genetic differences between cannabis strains; how specific harvesting and trimming techniques can affect color, taste, and smell; and the ins and outs of fresh terpenes (the essential oils of the cannabis plant). The company already has a Napa-style tasting room in the works.
Colorado Cannabis Tours
Colorado Cannabis Tours has been around since just after the state legalized marijuana. Their Original Colorado Cannabis Tour is still their most popular and it’s easy to see why. For $89, tour-goers receive transportation in a purpose-built, 420-friendly party bus or limo. Over the course of four hours, the bus visits a 40,000-square-foot grow facility, up to three dispensaries, a glass blowing demo, and a stop for lunch. Free marijuana samples are also provided, which the company encourages guests to swap and trade as they like. For around $550 per couple, the company will organize a private tour that includes most of the above, plus additional excursions, like a tour of Red Rocks Amphitheater, a city tour, a foothills hike, and a stop at an arcade bar.
Feature image courtesy of My 420 Tours/Facebook.
