214 | The Weed Frontier: How hotels are capitalizing on cannabis

Marijuana consumption in America has lost its stigma, and it is on track to become a $23 billion U.S. market over the next couple years.

Hotels in states that have legalized recreational and medicinal marijuana are just beginning to think about how to incorporate the trend into their businesses. The laws can be confusing. Cannabis use is not legal in every state. Each state where it is allowed has its own regulations. And marijuana use and distribution are still outlawed by the federal government.

But the landscape is rapidly evolving on many fronts. And hoteliers and hotel developers in legalized states are figuring out how to navigate and stake a claim in the new frontier of weed.

In this episode, we talk with two hoteliers who are invested in the market. Beej Das of Troca Hotels in Massachusetts has opened a boutique property to users, and Roger Bloss of Alternative Hospitality is developing a portfolio of cannabis friendly hotels – first in California and the next in Nevada.

We also talk with Kenny Dickerson, a builder who owns EcoMaster Corporation and a partner with Bloss in the California project.

For the businessmen, enabling customers to use marijuana is not about getting high, it’s about wellness – for their guests as well as their business’s bottom lines.

Resources and Links

• Troca Hotels
• Stonehedge Hotel & Spa
• MJ Holdings Inc.
• Coachillin’ Cana Business Park