Weed & Travel: 5 Must-Visit Cannabis-Friendly Destinations

As the post-pandemic world awakens and countries reopen their arms to tourists, adventure (and friendly cannabis laws) are calling your name. Gear up with everything you need to know about travelling with weed and discover some of the most unique and positively memorable travel destinations that await you. 

Before you begin booking a ticket to visit the coffee shops of Amsterdam and herb houses of Jamaica, let us guide you off the beaten track, to surf ‘n’ smoke retreats in Spain’s lush Basque Country and luxurious CBD-infused spas in Thailand that will leave you floating on cloud nine.

All your burning questions will be answered, including: How much weed can you take on the plane? Can you even take weed across borders? What cannabis tourism experiences should you explore in Asia? Europe? North America? And the most important question of all: Where in the world can you find the tastiest, freshest and most herbaceous weed milkshake?

Travelling with Weed

We covered the dos and don’ts of travelling with weed within Canada and internationally in our recent article, including handy tips on how best to pack small, recreational amounts if you do choose to take the risk. Nonetheless, the bottom line remains the same: Crossing borders with cannabis is illegal.

Canada’s travel laws proclaim:

• It is illegal to transport cannabis across the border, whether you are entering or leaving – yes, even to countries where weed is decriminalized.
• Penalties include being charged with a criminal offence. 
• If caught, you risk being denied entry into your destination now and in the future.

With marijuana decriminalization and legalization spreading across the globe, there is a myriad of countries you can travel to in 2022 without taking on unnecessary risk. Lovers of the green and the cannabis curious alike have more opportunities and options than ever before to experience this unique style of tourism, both safely and legally, as creative and inclusive activities sprout up around the world.

If you’re looking for a sign to venture beyond mundane tokes at home, this is it. Here are the top 5 must-visit cannabis-friendly destinations to add to your 2022 dream board.

1. Surf ‘n’ Smoke & Make New Friends

Where: San Sebastian, Gipuzkoa, Spain 
Highlights: All-inclusive daily surfing, plus yoga classes and three hearty meals a day 
What to Expect:
Stoke Surf House San Sebastian promises “surf and yoga every day, party at night”. This farm turned dorm-style surf house calls the beaches, rolling hills and lush nature reserves of the Basque Country home. How better to become one with nature while you smoke a toke in marijuana-friendly accommodation while also learning to surf and discovering zen at the same time. Almost everything is included, from your surfboard and wetsuit to your dope Stoke hosts and new like-minded friends. It’s time to breathe easy and wake up to views stretching across valleys, forests, farms and the shimmering turquoise ocean.

Fun Fact: You can browse more cannabis-friendly lodging around the world, from treehouses and campgrounds to chalets and cabins, at Bud and Breakfast.

2. CBD Spas in The Land of Smiles

Where: Bangkok, Chang Mai & Koh Samui, Thailand
Highlights: Calm of the mind and pain relief with the first CBD-infused spa treatments in Asia
What to Expect:
Anantara Spa has introduced a series of specially curated, cannabis-infused treatments in select locations across Thailand. Overstressed and under-rested? Looking for a reason to pamper yourself? After what you’ve survived, we say, “You deserve it!” – so this one’s for you. Following the kingdom’s decriminalization of the drug in 2022, you can feel safe and relaxed in the skillful hands of Anantara Spas. Their Restful Slumber Journey is the winner for us. Unwind, wholly and without inhibition, on this 90-minute journey which begins with a hot cannabis bath salt soak followed by a cannabis-infused oil massage – all of which interact directly with your skin’s cannabinoid receptors. This treatment aims to soothe and stabilize your mind and mood, settle your stomach and deliver the most rejuvenating rest you’ve had in years.

Fun Fact: As a progressive wellness brand, Anantara also offers guests a cannabis dining menu and even in-house IV drips.

3. Wine & Weed on the West Coast

Where: Bay Area, California, USA
Highlights: 420-centric tours and creative classes focused on quality, Californian-grown cannabis
What to Expect:
The Golden State’s California Cannabis Tours guarantees “the most fun and cannabis-infused experience”. Their CannaVines ​​Wine and Weed Tour – yes, you read that right, wine tasting paired with weed smoking – showcases the Bay Area’s most unique and one-of-a-kind venues. Kicking off at the Oakland Cannabis Creative, the elating four-hour loop takes you to multiple handpicked dispensaries and wineries in the area. So all you need to do is sit back, relax, light a blunt, and enjoy scenic views of the Bay, all aboard your cannabis and consumption-friendly limo bus!

Fun Fact: Not a wine-o? From San Francisco and Oakland to Los Angeles and Hollywood, you can sign up to get creative with Puff, Pass Classes – Pastry, Paint or Pottery – while high on California’s finest green.

4. French-Canadian Festivities

Where: Montréal, Québec, Canada
Highlights: Hours of free festivities, drum beats and lighting up in the lush setting of Mount Royal Park
What to Expect:
In the name of peace, love and happiness, weed festivals and parties have been celebrated around the world for decades, quashing stigmas and transforming attitudes. Here in Canada, the second country in the world to legalize recreational weed, the Montréal Tam-Tams is a brilliant excuse to visit our French-speaking province this summer. Every Sunday from May to September, you are invited to join in on the fun from noon until sunset. Brace yourself for a drum circle of thousands, with dancing as well as local vendors, and embrace the laissez-faire culture of cannabis and alcohol that authorities will allow, so long as you behave.

Fun Fact: Neither sponsored nor sanctioned by the city, no one knows when and where the Tam-Tams first started.

5. That Milkshake We Mentioned

Where: Varanasi, India
Highlights: A spiritual experience within walking distance of the famous Kasha Vishwanath Temple
What to Expect:
In addition to the Taj Mahal and spice-adorned cuisine, India is also renowned for its bhang lassi, a type of weed milkshake that closely resembles a shamrock shake. India’s leniency towards marijuana is growing, particularly in spiritual cities like Varanasi in the country’s north, where bhang is consumed in the name of Shiva. Bhang lassi is made by grinding the young buds, leaves and flowers of marijuana plants and combining this herbaceous mixture with all the delicious dairy, nuts and spices of traditional lassi – yum!

We recommend the charming, hole-in-the-wall Blue Lassi Shop for the diversity and high praises of its menu.

Fun Fact: For the ultimate spiritual awakening, save your trip for the Hindu festival of Holi, when the city comes alive with colour, celebration, and of course, plenty of bhang lassi.

Puff, Puff, Pack Your Suitcase

While packing your bags for the destination calling your name, here are a few of our sunny season favourites to transport you into the perfect summer vacation mood. Fruity carts with flavours like gelato, pina colada and sunset sherbert are on the top of the list. We’re currently vaping Cantaloupe Haze and feeling oh so tropical. Mix & Match for a combo of quality AAAA+ craft flowers, if that’s more your style. For the psilocybin lovers, our shrooms archive will have you spoilt for choice.

Wherever you choose to go for your next passport stamp, we bid you a buzzed bon voyage!