BY: ZOE MELNYK
It’s no surprise that Washington and Colorado have experienced a surge in tourism since legalizing marijuana, but the cannabis industry is about to encounter a whole new way to enjoy that blissful high with America’s first ever weedery.
The weedery, otherwise known as Green Man Cannabis Ranch, is set to open sometime next year just outside of Colorado’s capital city, Denver. Guests will have the opportunity to witness the process of growing cannabis and purchase marijuana on site.
The weedery, similar to popular wineries and breweries, will consist of a restaurant, bar, gift shop, guided tours and the greenhouses that grow the plants. Possibly the most unique feature of the weedery, besides being able to purchase weed legally, is the enormous amphitheatre that can host over 3,000 guests.
There will be weed and there will be live music – the beautiful Rocky Mountains in the background providing the perfect setting – and it’s all thanks to the visions of entrepreneur Christian Hageseth and his company American Cannabis Partners.
Rocky Mountains Photo by DPF_Peter
Hageseth’s weedery project is set to cost approximately $35 million in Colorado alone, but he is hoping to expand the budget to $100 million and create weederies across the country. Other than Washington, he’s hoping to develop businesses in Nevada, Massachusetts and California, once it’s legal of course.
Fortunately, the cannabis ranch hasn’t faced any major roadblocks from competitors or the law while under construction. However, as of right now, consumption of marijuana is illegal in the weedery. Guests are welcome to purchase the cannabis and use it elsewhere, but Hageseth is looking to overcome this setback and open up the bar as a smoking area.
On top of using the new laws to build a business in weed tourism, Hageseth is hoping that the weedery will exploit marijuana stereotypes and allow people to see the drug up close and personal for what it is.
Besides being a successful businessman, Hageseth is an enthusiast for legalizing marijuana and shares his experiences working to ratify medical and legal marijuana across the country in his book, Big Weed.
In his novel, Hagaseth envisions a future with a large nationwide marijuana market similar to coffee and beer. For now, it’s just a matter of appealing to the general public and slowly dismissing the myths about cannabis while filling in the gaps with the truth about smoking and ingesting the drug.
“It’s not about making statements about what’s right or wrong,” Hageseth said in an interview with the New York Times. “It’s about putting marijuana back in nature and letting people make their own decisions.”
Sources: outsideonline.com, cannabisculture.com, turner.com, flickr.com, stonerdays.com, bigweedthebook.com, amazon.com, natureworldnews.com, 2realnews.com