TOURISM NUMBERS HIGH

Posted on 03/02/2016 | About Colorado

Tourism officials for Colorado would like to take credit for the increase in tourism in the state, but there is no discounting the effects that legalized marijuana has had in the increase of visitors. However, as the tourism numbers go up, so too do the hospital visits.  In fact emergency room visits by tourists who consumed pot almost doubled in 2014; the year the recreational drug became legal.

Before the legalization of weed, ER visits by tourists who had partaken in the drug was 85 per 10,000 visits.  After legalization the statistic almost doubled to 168 per 10,000 visits according to the New England Journal of Medicine Feb 25.In Colorado anyone 21 or older can legally buy marijuana.Denise Miller, director of tourism surveys for Strategic Marketing and Research Insights (SMARI) said, "I think definitely the laws are having an influence when people are considering Colorado. “We can see that it's still not a large percentage in terms of what people are doing, but it's become more of a motivator for those who want to do it.”SMARI estimated a 2015 summer ad campaign which cost the state $5.3 million spurred 2.1 million leisure trips, generating an economic impact of $2.6 billion.None of the ads made mention of marijuana, although 22 percent of survey respondents said marijuana was "extremely influential" in their decision to visit Colorado.20 percent said it was "very much influential" and nearly 7 percent said it was "somewhat influential." State officials do not promote marijuana tourism because possessing, selling and using the drug is illegal under federal law.Interestingly, the number of residents’ visit to the hospital emergency room has not changed since pot was legalized.