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Maine’s summer time tourism season has a brand new attraction this 12 months with the primary 12 months of authorized leisure marijuana gross sales anticipated to carry extra folks to the state, following tendencies in Colorado and California.
A serious marijuana retailer in Maine advised a HospitalityMaine seminar Thursday that he expects Maine to see a tourism enhance, with some guests coming strictly on a marijuana trip.
“We’re seeing an enormous improve in curiosity about coming to Maine to attempt hashish after we legalized it,” mentioned Charlie Langston, managing director of Wellness Connection, which has a cultivation facility, extraction laboratory and two adult-use storefronts and two medical ones in Maine. “We get calls on a regular basis from folks planning holidays, questioning about how they will get hashish after they’re right here.”
Maine may observe within the footsteps of Colorado, which noticed a 51 p.c hashish tourism enhance after it legalized leisure marijuana in 2012, the primary U.S. state to take action. Hashish vacationers there are inclined to spend $161 extra per go to there than different guests, Langston mentioned.
About half of vacationers wished to attempt marijuana in Colorado and 1 / 4 got here particularly for hashish, in line with that state’s office of tourism. Income from each retail and medical marijuana rose to $2.2 billion in 2020, essentially the most profitable gross sales 12 months for the reason that state legalized leisure marijuana, in line with Colorado Department of Revenue information.
Maine is seeing its personal sharp gross sales will increase. Legalized by voters in 2016, the primary retail gross sales for adult-use marijuana began final October with six licensed shops, which has grown to 34 retailers who had file gross sales of $5.36 million in May, up $1 million from the month earlier than, in line with the state Workplace of Marijuana Coverage.
These numbers may breathe new life into Maine’s hospitality trade, which was hard hit throughout the pandemic. Langston and others mentioned the comfort advantages of the drug are an vital draw for guests after a troublesome pandemic 12 months.
“The wellness facet of leisure marijuana is a brand new evolution in Maine tourism that would assist some within the hospitality trade,” Matt Lewis, CEO of HospitalityMaine, mentioned.
However it’s nonetheless unclear the way to combine marijuana tourism with a conventional resort expertise, mentioned Phil Kronenthal, managing companion of Migis Lodge Resort Group, which has six properties in Maine and one in Massachusetts.
One problem is the place folks may smoke on properties like Migis, which doesn’t enable smoking, though it could be attainable to eat hashish in different methods. Nonetheless, he thinks marijuana will enhance tourism within the state.
“When folks come to Maine to entry it, they should eat out and keep in accommodations, so it’s identical to after they come right here to seek out antiques or scenic lighthouses,” he mentioned.
Whereas leisure hashish is authorized, Lewis cautioned it comes with a number of points, and accountable promotion of marijuana is crucial for companies.
Langston mentioned companies have to be artistic to legally interact in hashish tourism resembling providing non-public dinner events the place visitors carry their very own weed, making a CBD-infused room service menu or spa remedy and providing hashish excursions. Companies should watch out to not promote the drug. Additionally they want to look at the place it’s consumed, as a result of Maine legislation doesn’t enable consumption lounges or use in public locations.
“Companies have to be clear and concise about their place on hashish,” Langston mentioned. “They should educate their front-line employees on the legal guidelines and the way to make suggestions.”
This text seems by means of a media partnership with the Bangor Daily News.
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