Summer is almost here and in anticipation of those blissfully sunny days ahead, many are already penciling in vacation ideas – future plans to carry us through these last few weeks of spring.
Wine, brewery and artisan cheese tours have long been a popular option for easy weekend plans, but with the legalization of cannabis in 2018, a new type of tour has entered the market.
Cannabis tours, along with weed-and-wine tours and cannabis lounges are all fairly new concepts but quickly becoming just as popular as the more familiar food and beverage tours and your normal bar or restaurant.
Rather than grape varieties, cannabis tours typically start at a local dispensary before taking guests on an educational tour that generally highlights local growers, strains and local cannabis history from the area. Cannabis lounges are not as easy to track down but when you do find one you can often expect local entertainment and featured artists on display, easy access to cannabis products and of course food to help quell any resulting munchies.
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Whether you’re a seasoned smoker or only just starting to explore the world of cannabis, cannabis tours and experiences can be a fun way to further your knowledge in a relaxing, enjoyable way. Here’s a sampling of options and experiences from all along the West Coast!
British Columbia
Victoria Cannabis Tours – New to Victoria, B.C., Victoria Cannabis Tours offers three tour options: Ocean & Mountains, Coastline & Cruise, or a Instagram Hopping Tour. Blending a traditional Victoria sightseeing tour with the Island’s growing cannabis culture, the first stop is a local dispensary before setting out to take in some of Victoria’s most popular sights and experiences.
Sugar Cane Cannabis – Indigenous-owned and operated Sugar Cane Cannabis is located in Williams Lake and owned by the Williams Lake First Nation. On a mission to produce the highest-quality, small-batch craft cannabis, they strive to provide both an exceptional product and a unique experience for users.
Sugar Cane Cannabis also offers B.C.’s first cannabis farmgate, a farm-to-table-style approach to cannabis tours, where you can experience the entire production process from seed to sale, and purchase the finished product directly from the farm itself.
Okanagan Cannabis Tours – Okanagan Cannabis Tours offers a variety of tour options, with a little something for everyone. Their most popular tour is their Weed-and-Wine tour, visiting the “best Okanagan cannabis stores” and two of Okanagan’s most beautiful wineries, Frind Estate Winery and Off the Grid Winery where tour-goers can enjoy wood-fired pizza to help curb any lingering munchies.
Okanagan Cannabis Tours provides an educational component to their tours, discussing a number of topics including terpenes, terpene isolates and providing a ‘Volcano vaporizer’ for guest use to get a proper taste of terpenes and how they vary by strain.
“I can’t stress enough that this is not a ‘party bus’ experience. We often host international groups, friends, couples and even families,” says owner Anne Marie Locas. “We had one tour where we had a mum tag along to enjoy the wineries while her two (adult) children enjoyed the cannabis. The Okanagan has long been known for its wineries but our hot summers are perfect for growing bud too, and these tours are a great way to experience that.”
Hard to have a bad day while enjoying an Okanagan Cannabis Tour! - Photo courtesy of Okanagan Cannabis Tours.
Alberta
Cannanaskis – Set in the beautiful Kananaskis backcountry of Alberta’s Rocky Mountains, Cannanaskis offers cannabis-based experiences that are informational and educational, with a strong focus on history. Their ‘History of Cannabis Tour to K-Country’ starts with a visit to a local dispensary before taking guests out to visit the mountains in their ‘CannaVan’ to learn all about cannabis, its history, how it affects our bodies, and the science behind the plant – all while appreciating the natural beauty of the Rocky Mountains.
Washington
The Prohibition Bar (Seattle) – Seattle’s first and only all-ages cannabis club, this community events space is geared toward removing the stigma around cannabis and promoting education above all else. The Prohibition Bar offers snacks, beer and CBD drinks in a comfortable, open-space environment. They host weekly live jazz music, open mic comedy nights and have shared their live space with a variety of other local performers, artisans, clubs and fundraising events. Check out their event calendar online when you’re in Seattle next.
Oregon
The Potlandia Experience – The Potlandia Experience is a rock-and-roll themed tour around Portland on a truly one-of-a-kind bus. Promising to keep you “edutained” on this hybrid sight-seeing/cannabis tour, take in the sights while enjoying a taste of the Portland cannabis scene. They also offer a Weed and Waterfall Tour that takes you out of the city and out into the Columbia River Gorge.
California
Green Dream Cannabis Tours (San Francisco) – Specializing in education on the science, history and consumption of cannabis, Green Dreams Cannabis Tours offers the perfect place to safely start experimenting with cannabis or up your knowledge as an experienced user. They offer two tour options currently, their San Francisco Cannabis Tour and a custom private cannabis tour option.
The Studio Cannabis Lounge (Los Angeles) – The Studio Cannabis Lounge at the Artist Tree offers an innovative cannabis experience adjacent to a cannabis retail outlet. Offering edible dining, live music, consumption events and wellness classes to their guests. They also offer table-side service and more than 700 items available for purchase through the Artist Tree that can then be enjoyed in The Studio Cannabis Lounge. Naturally they also have a munchie-friendly menu available that includes fresh salads, pastas, pizzas, tacos and more.
New to cannabis, well-experienced or simply curious about the plant and culture itself, these tours and experiences offer a fun and relaxing way to learn more about cannabis, its history, cultivation, and various consumption options while enjoying the emerging cannabis market and communities up and down North America’s west coast.
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