A recent market in Uniontown, Ohio, attracted 3,000 attendees and 160 vendors and a slew of local first responders. A symphony of freedom, safety and acceptance that marijuana advocate Tim Johnson believes can eventually be replicated statewide. Anyone expecting trouble at this pot party would be sorely disappointed, Johnson said.
鈥淲e had an elderly gentleman with a bloody nose, and someone that had an asthma attack, and that鈥檚 it,鈥� said Johnson, a former law enforcement officer who advised the Ohio legislature on Issue 2, the law that made recreational marijuana legal for adults. 鈥淚t shows that with an open mind, and people staying up to date on the law, we can give the cannabis community an opportunity to get together without fear of any kind of repercussions from the judicial system. It went over really well.鈥�
Legalized recreational marijuana has the potential to spark a newfound tourism industry statewide, said Johnson and fellow cannabis activists. Ohio鈥檚 central Midwest location, for example, could create a convenient destination for enthusiasts seeking new dispensaries, consumption lounges and cannabis-themed events.
Visitors may also be interested in cannabis products and events marketed toward relaxation and pain management. And foodies can be part of this rising tide, with high-end restaurants providing cannabis-infused meals and drinks.
While these possibilities are theoretical, they are not pie-in-the-sky aspirations, Johnson said. A recently removed liquor from the menu so customers can smoke marijuana on the patio. State law forbids combining alcohol sales with cannabis.
鈥�(Issue 2) didn鈥檛 introduce a new industry, but rather a new legalized industry where it permits those involved to participate in the state鈥檚 economic and commerce growth through business ventures and tourism,鈥� said Johnson. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot to do in Ohio - a lot of sporting events, music and other shows.鈥�
A plant of possibilities聽
Akron-born cannabis 鈥渃hef鈥� and educator Jeremy Cooper agrees that Ohio can become a cannabis tourism hotbed. Cooper has been a marijuana events marketer for 14 years, working with owner Johnny Lutz on farmers markets and various get-togethers.
The state could leverage parks and historical sites, or build tourism packages around annual events like the Oktoberfest Fall Festival, he said. Local cafes and restaurants might host wellness events where gummies or mocktails are fortified with a THC tincture.
The events don鈥檛 always have to involve consumption, he said. Events could focus on history, education and cultivation practices, which have proven popular in places where pot has been legal for a long time, Cooper said.
鈥淭eaching people the extraction methods, the history of cannabis and how to dose properly and how to grow are more important to me than the music and consumption aspects,鈥� he said. 鈥淎 lot of people are just diving for knowledge, and they want an immersive experience where they can see, feel, touch and hear all the avenues that cannabis has to offer in Ohio.鈥�
State backers can learn from Colorado and California, which offer designated 鈥渃annabis zones鈥� at concerts and other events, said Cooper. Colorado also has a variety of marijuana-friendly attractions where guests can use marijuana while taking a tour or practicing yoga.
Adventurers over 40 who have disposable income seem like an obvious initial target market, though Cooper envisions electronic music-loving twentysomethings as patrons, too. Cannabis supporter Johnson said an ideal travel ecosystem would embrace the 鈥渙ne-for-all鈥� mentality of marijuana culture.
鈥淭he foremost most important part about cannabis tourism is the community doesn鈥檛 discriminate against generations, or economic level, or ethnicity,鈥� said Johnson. 鈥淚 think that鈥檚 a very big thing for how it affects tourism and what tourism is.鈥�
Creating an open dialogue
founder Phoebe DePree forecasts an influx of out-of-state visitors once the legalized marijuana market takes root. An edibles proprietor with six dispensaries in central and southwest Ohio, DePree said the state could be a potential green getaway for immediate neighbors like Indiana.
鈥淵ou can鈥檛 smoke at all in Indiana,鈥� said DePree. 鈥淪o, there鈥檚 a possibility of bringing in an inflow of 鈥榗anna-curious鈥� and seasoned customers coming in, either to visit or have an experience at a 鈥樷�� hotel, where people can stay and have an infused dining experience.鈥�
An inn could co-brand with a chef, or partner with a dispensary, for an educational event. Cannabis entrepreneurs would collaborate with residents to plan their stays and deal with any concerns they have, DePree said.
鈥淚 prefer to see the state taking the bull by the horns and saying, 鈥榊ou know this is going to be a thing, here鈥檚 the feedback we鈥檝e gotten from our local communities,鈥欌�� she said. 鈥淭hen you can start having businesses take that framework and you have a really solid foundation you鈥檙e building from.鈥�
First, Ohio must enact clear regulations around licensing, permits and consumption limitations, said Johnson, the cannabis advocate. Since marijuana remains federally illegal, rules regarding travel with products across state lines must be addressed to avoid confusion, he said.
A proposal from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration could open some opportunities. The DEA sent forward a motion to remove cannabis from its status as a Schedule I substance, where it now resides, alongside heroin, as a drug with no accepted medical use.
Reclassifying marijuana as a Schedule III drug, the crux of the DEA motion, would align it with prescription codeine-laced Tylenol and anabolic steroids. Though still regulated by the DEA, the designation could result in easier access to cannabis by researchers. However, even under Schedule III, marijuana would be subject to federal trafficking laws, including traveling with the drug across state lines.
Ohio must navigate these hurdles to establish a safe, well-regulated tourism industry 鈥� one that positions it as a unique and competitive travel destination, said Cooper.
鈥淲e have a lot of questions from employers, and education is the key to all of this,鈥� Cooper said. 鈥淚f you鈥檙e a pizza place, you鈥檙e not going to want people smoking blunts and ripping bongs. So, you want to allow people to use vape pens and other vaporizable systems. Where in another facility where it鈥檚 completely indoors, it may be edibles and mocktails only. These are questions that we鈥檙e answering in the community, because employers want that open dialogue.鈥�