CO officials to educate tourists on cannabis – not promote it

Colorado won’t be making marijuana a hallmark of the state’s pitch to tourists, but will instead educate visitors about marijuana laws.

The federal government has a say in what states can and can’t include in marketing materials, the director of Colorado’s Tourism Office told the Coloradoan newspaper in Fort Collins. Instead, the agency is focusing on public education, including informing tourists that it’s still illegal to light up cannabis public.

“If you are here and choose to use, we want to make sure people have information about the educated use,” Cathy Ritter, the tourism department director, said.

Cannabis, however, clearly is a draw for visitors to Colorado. A state-funded tourism study from late 2015 found that almost half of the visitors to Colorado are influenced by the adult-use cannabis market. And an estimated $100 million in marijuana sales in 2015 alone can be attributed to tourists, as well.