1. Cannabis promotes tourism
The Jersey Shore, Ellis Island, Manhattan, and the Catskill Mountains are only a few of the many tourist hotspots in New Jersey and New York. Legal cannabis has the chance to not only keep these resorts running but bring in significantly more profits and tourists overall. Since gaining momentum in the past decade, cannabis businesses have developed unique attractions for tourists, including but not limited to bus tours, cannabis-friendly hotel accommodations, paint nights, and more.
Even local businesses outside of the cannabis industry benefit from increased tourism. For instance, Marijuana Moment reports legalization boosts hotel booking rates:
“By comparing hotel room rentals in Colorado and Washington to states that did not change their legal status of marijuana from 2011 through 2015, researchers found that legalization coincided with a significant influx of tourists and a rise in hotel revenue. The impact was even more pronounced after the start of retail sales.”