It’s the hardest part of legalization: finding a place, preferably outside your living room, where you can light up in peace.
While weed may now be legal in Colorado, Alaska, Oregon, Washington State, and Washington, D.C., smoking the stuff in public is not. And that means almost all hotels, motels, ski resorts, and other forms of lodging are off-limits to pot.
Sean Roby hopes to change that. Roby and his website, budandbreakfast.com, are offering pot-friendly bookings for travelers who want to toke. The site offers listings for small inns, bed & breakfast establishments, rooms for rent, campsites, and other overnight choices.
A safe, legal place to smoke
“We’re providing a safe, legal place to smoke for cannabis users,” Roby said. “When people come in from other states, it’s a huge deal. You’re blown away that you can go in and buy, but then what do you do next?”
The businesses all allow marijuana use on their properties, a choice they may make in states where weed is legal. Most of the listings are in Colorado, with more than 30 there as of early April.
There are also opportunities in Washington, Hawaii, Alaska, and California, as well as the Caribbean and Uruguay. Several Caribbean countries allow medical marijuana, while pot is legal for all uses in Uruguay.
Some of the property owners at budandbreakfast allow pot smoking indoors and out while others restrict toking to outdoor areas. Some cater to all tourists while others are geared toward potheads specifically.
Colorado launched pot-friendly establishments first
These aren’t the first lodgers to offer stoner-friendly room and board. A handful of such establishments exist in Colorado, including the First Inn of Pagosa Springs. Dave Power, a clerk at the inn, told USA Today business has boomed since the owners added “420 Friendly” to the sign last July.
“If you twist one up at the Ritz, they’ll have you arrested,” Power said. “This has been, I think, a boon for business. It attracts a different crowd.”
Locales advertising through budandbreakfast include the Evans Ranch in Golden, Col.; the Cozy King Room in Kapaa, Hawaii; and the Caribbean Bamboo Bungalow on St. Vincent. Evans Ranch is a $60-per-night b&b with horses and outdoor smoking, while the Cozy King Room is a $65 room for rent on Kauai, and the Caribbean Bamboo Bungalow is a $50 choice in Kingstown.
The bud b&b trend is just the latest in cannabis-themed tourism. Private buses and limos are available in Colorado for visitors who want to spark up while visiting the legal marijuana hotspots. For out-of-towners who simply can’t wait to smoke, there’s 420 Airport Pickup, which will take you straight from Denver International Airport to a pot shop before dropping you off at your hotel.
