Reader: Pot Tourists, Go Home!

A new report indicates that while sales of cannabis in Colorado continue to rise from year to year, those numbers could plateau as more states come on line. BDS Analytics and Arcview’s sixth annual State of Legal Marijuana Markets studied each state with medical or recreational cannabis programs; Arcview, known for its investment and market research, notes that it’s never had so many states to cover in its report – and all that new competition is likely to draw tourist buyers into new regions as their recreational sales come online.

But that’s not all bad news, according to some cannabis consumers.

Says Patrick: 

Good. Said as a pothead and a Colorado native: We don’t need pot tourists.

Responds Tyler: 

Umm, yes, we do! Do you have any idea how many mom-and-pop shops run off to tourism?

Adds Michael: 

Awww, c’mon, man, we are not all bad. Though I do feel your pain; I live in a “tourist” destination and they make you want to pull your hair out. Whenever I am up there I am totally respectful to the locals and absolutely do my best to enjoy what we all wish our backwardsass states would allow.

Adds Jeremy: 

I’ve met plenty of our fellow Americans who’re such awful, classless people that they shouldn’t be allowed out in public, much less allowed to be tourists ANYWHERE.

And Michael concludes: 

Everyone will be growing their own or robbing their neighbors.

Keep reading for more of our marijuana coverage.

“Where Will Colorado’s Pot Industry Be in 2022?”

“New State Reports Show Kids Aren’t Smoking More Pot, But Adults Are”

“Cheaper Cannabis Leads to Falling Revenue in Colorado Marijuana Sales”

“With previous figures estimating one-in-three sales coming from out-of-state travelers, Colorado may have a lot to lose from increased U.S. market competition,” the BDS/Arcview report reads. “Many of those travelers may now have access closer to home, or will in the near future, and any increase in taxes – therefore an increase in price -will disincentivize cannabis tourism within a region.”

But in definite good news, the data gathered by BDS also shows that Colorado’s illegal cannabis market was responsible for the smallest share of consumer spending out of all the states surveyed. It came in at 33 percent – over 50 percent lower than the national average. And that’s with prices falling at legal stores, although taxes will soon be going up in the state.

What do you think of the pot tourists in Colorado? Share your thoughts in a comment or email editorial@westword.com.