The Future Of Cannabis Tourism Is Here
There was a time when young Americans flocked to Amsterdam for the novelty of buying legal cannabis and enjoying it in public with friends. But nowadays, there’s no need to hop across an ocean or cross customs to find a legal cannabis lounge.
Even if you do happen to find yourself in Amsterdam, a lot has changed over the years. Attitudes toward legal sex and decriminalized cannabis have changed, and the Dutch city’s world-famous coffee shops have become fewer and farther in between as local laws have become more restrictive. The Mellow Yellow, for example, was a local icon but had to close in 2017 because of a new law that placed it squarely within a prohibited school zone.
As Amsterdam has gotten less friendly to marijuana tourism, the U.S. has become a haven for legal cannabis. States across the country are continuing to decriminalize and legalize cannabis, and a handful of cannabis lounges have popped up across the U.S.
I recently visited one of them in the Chicago suburb of Mundelein, Illinois, and got a peek at what’s likely to come as more U.S. states legalize cannabis.
Behold The Smokeasy
Green Thumb Industries calls it the smokeasy. Walk through the End of Prohibition doorway and to the back of the gigantic Rise recreational dispensary. A check-in desk and one more door later, you’ll find a pleasant surprise — a sleek and sexy speakeasy, minus the alcohol.
The experience is a step up from the Amsterdam coffee shops you may faintly remember from college backpacking trips. The space itself feels like a classy Manhattan bar just without the crowds and drunk people. It’s dark with just a few tables and a cozy leather booth—not the kind of place you’d expect to find within a five-minute drive of a sprawling suburban shopping mall.
While there’s no alcohol, there is an extensive menu of cannabis, cannabis-infused drinks, and edibles available for sale through the attached dispensary. And don’t worry about your joint rolling skills. Pre-rolled joints are available. There’s also a QR code menu of smoking devices and budtenders ready to walk you through dabs, shatter, edibles, and more.
Reservations are a must.
Elsewhere in the U.S.
The lounge at Rise Mundelein is among a handful of cannabis consumption spaces scattered across the U.S., but it offers a unique window into what to expect as the intersection of commercial cannabis and tourism develops. Rise is part of Green Thumb Industries, a national company with 31 cannabis retail stores in nine states, and the Mundelein lounge could very well become the blueprint for future smokeasies as more municipalities pave the way for them to open.
Cannabis lounges have already opened in Denver and Aurora, which also has plans for a cannabis party bus. In California, legal cannabis lounges have opened in Oakland, San Bernardino, and Cathedral City. A Cannabis Cafe also has opened in West Hollywood though it’s been temporarily closed, pandemic and all.
Cannabis legalization legislation in New York and New Jersey allows for social consumption lounges though it’s unlikely we’ll see them formally open in either state until 2023.
Meanwhile, a broader infrastructure around cannabis tourism is already beginning to take shape. Whether it is a cannabis bus tour, a farm tour, or accommodations that embrace smokers you’re looking for, there’s an increasing chance you’ll find it within U.S. borders.
There’s even a Cannabis Travel Association International that’s set out to promote and develop responsible cannabis tourism around the world.
My Crystal Ball 🔮
After my peek inside Rise Mundelein, I don’t expect Amsterdam will ever be the destination it was for a generation or two of backpacking Americans. Instead, I think we’ll see Europeans and Americans flock to cities including Denver and Las Vegas in search of the kinds of experiences that brought their parents to Amsterdam.
This is a more commercial, branded, and packaged experience than anything I’ve seen in Amsterdam. Some people will hate the commercialization of cannabis, especially at a time when so many people of color are behind bars for being in the same business. Others will embrace mass-produced cannabis beverages and commercially grown flower.
It is a decidedly American twist on legal cannabis.
And while Mundelein may not be a destination you’d normally seek out, it could make for an interesting day trip from Chicago or Milwaukee. If you’ve got a long layover at Chicago O’Hare and are up for an interesting detour, you could make the 26-mile trek to Mundelein. The drive takes about 30 minutes each way. Public transit isn’t an option, so you would need to plan for a cab or rideshare.
Regardless, Mundelein is a sneak peek at what’s likely to come as the world and the world of legal cannabis consumption opens up.
*A version of this story originally appeared in the Travel with Meena newsletter.
