Tourists now have to face marijuana for better or worse

2020 was an atypical year. While it brought hard ends to most things, it was also an election year that opened the door to a lot of change. One of those changes was the legalization of marijuana, something that is becoming harder to ignore as more and more demographics accept it.

While many politics and parties were controversial in last year’s elections, it was surprising that most states were in agreement on cannabis. Legalization of the plant has been expanded and supported by a variety of states, and the change is being felt everywhere, especially if you are in a city that has some sort of marijuana program enforced. This is great news for some travelers and not so much for others.

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Photo by Vidar Nordli-Mathisen via Unsplash

“I wasn’t expecting to be in a family-friendly hotel in Chandler, Arizona with a faint touch of marijuana in the room,” traveler Judi Durand told the New York Times. “People get braver with it. “It’s not very fair.”

In 2021, lawmakers filed cannabis legalization forms in 31 states including New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Virginia that have passed these laws and plan to enforce them soon. States like Louisiana have decriminalized the drug, abruptly challenging many people’s perceptions. While cannabis advocates have long known and anticipated these changes, the opposition and those who remained isolated from legal cannabis talks did not.

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Cannabis attractions are still in the works, but the improvement is significant compared to a few years ago. There is an audience for activities such as cultivation tours, cannabis-themed spas, and a growing number of pharmacies.

Whether you are for or against marijuana, it is a reality that if you don’t already, you will be smelling weed on your next trip. While the laws are just beginning to reflect this change at the federal level, it has taken years to complete.