Pubdate: Thu, 08 Nov 2012
Source: Denver Post (CO)
Copyright: 2012 The Denver Post Corp
Contact:  http://www.denverpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/122
Author: Jason Blevins

NO PLAN TO MARKET MARIJUANA TOURISM

Despite the passage of Amendment 64 - which made Colorado the first 
state to legalize small amounts of marijuana for recreational use - 
marijuana tourism is not on the agenda for state boosters.

"As long as federal law classifies marijuana as a Schedule I 
controlled substance, we are obligated to remind tourists they would 
be subject to federal law even if Colorado law permits them to do 
something," said Rich Grant, spokesman for Visit Denver.

Colorado's tourism champions have long baited their hooks with just 
about anything to lure destination travelers. Urban adventure, 
mountain fun, arts, music, food. Craft beer. Craft liquor. Even craft cheese.

But don't look for any hand-rolled Indica doobies on those tourism 
hooks anytime soon.

Critics of the amendment - which nearly 55 percent of state voters 
approved on Tuesday - assailed the proposal with dire warnings of 
marijuana tourists turning Colorado into a red-lighted den of 
iniquity, a la Amsterdam.

"It was one of our opponents' scare tactics, telling voters that 
horrible people were going to come to Colorado for scary marijuana," 
said MasonTvert, a director of the Yes On 64 Campaign. "Tourism was 
never part of the reasoning behind this campaign. We wanted to end 
the needless arrests of 10,000-plus Coloradans every year simply for 
possessing marijuana."

The new law - which allows possession of less than an ounce of 
marijuana-was opposed by most Colorado lawmakers, including the 
governor. Richard Scharf, president of Visit Denver and chairman of 
the Colorado Tourism Office, warned that passage of the amendment 
could hobble the state's travel industry.

"If Colorado receives international media attention as the first 
state in the U.S. to legalize marijuana in their Constitution, 
Colorado's brand will be damaged, and we may attract fewer 
conventions and see a decline in leisure travel," Scharf said in a 
press release two weeks ago.

Regardless of impacts, marijuana isn't going to make Colorado tourism 
ad campaigns anytime soon. The winter television campaign rolls out 
this week in Colorado's core markets.

Al White, director of the tourism office, said it's premature to 
begin thinking about marijuana marketing because the Colorado 
legislature still needs to sculpt regulations surrounding the new 
law, which likely won't take effect until early 2014. Even then, 
don't expect any ads mentioning Colorado's green nuggets, its famous 
Rocky Mountain High or its newly elevated role as the highest state 
in the country.

"I'm pretty sure my board would not approve marketing anything 
thatwas against any law; local, state or federal," White said. "It's 
hard to envision marketing Colorado as a marijuana destination. That 
doesn't even roll off my tongue very well."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom