It’s no secret that marijuana and food make the perfect pair — it’s why we get the munchies. As cannabis legalization ramps up around the world, more and more cannabis travel destinations may allow us to satisfy our taste buds by, well…tasting foods with bud.
From luxury edibles to regional cooking classes and high-end chefs incorporating a new type of herb into their cuisine, marijuana tourism for foodies is about as logical a pair as red wine and red meat.
Obviously, there’s still a lot of red tape surrounding the industry, but gastric globetrotters who value their green needn’t fear these legal cannabis travel destinations. Let’s dive on in.
Cannabis Infused Cocktails in San Diego
Way down in southern California, just 45 minutes north of the Mexican border, a high-end restaurant called Madison on Park is serving up slippery American cocktails infused with cannabidiol oils cold-pressed from cannabis plants.
Cannabidiol oils, or CBD oils as they’re more commonly called, don’t cause the psychoactive effects that their common cannabis counterpart THC does. If you’ve ever enjoyed marijuana and felt yourself sinking into the couch, that’s the CBD at work. It’s commonly used as an anti-anxiety or mood elevator, which is why Madison on Park claims they use it for its health benefits as well as its “unique flavor profile.”
The marque cannabis-infused cocktail at Madison on Park? That would be the Mr. Nice Guy, concocted by bar manager Danny Kushner. It costs $18 and is made with mezcal, cannabidiol oils, matcha, pineapple, coconut milk, and lime. However, 10 drops of CBD oil can be added to any drink on their “Build Your Own Old Fashioned menu for just $5. Bottom’s up!
Lavish Cannabis Cuisine in Northern California
Head up the California coast for a high-class dining experience from The Opulent Chef, one of America’s top 10 cannabis chefs.
Founder Michael Magallanes prepares elegantly artistic cannabis dishes at pop-up and private dinners throughout Northern California. After traveling and cooking in South America he moved to San Francisco and trained professionally for 10 years at Michelin-rated restaurants.
According to Dope Magazine’s Shwa Laytart, “Chef Michael’s sous chefs move like assassins. Each plate, a work of artistic feat, is perfectly replicated like a ripple of water.”
As far as the cannabis in the cuisine itself, Laytart says each dish is a customized dosage for the dinner using the GSC strain provided by NASHA extracts. Is anyone else getting hungry?
Sushi and Joint Rolling in Denver
For a more interactive cannabis connoisseur, hop in a plane and head east to Denver’s RiNo neighborhood to learn how to roll delicious sushi and delectable joints.
Per My420Tours.com:
Join Executive Chef and sushi artist Patrick Bailey to learn what makes a good roll of sushi, how to create it, and the latest trends in the contemporary sushi-making world. Pair this experience with expert joint rolling techniques from Futurola papers — the premier rolling paper in the Cannabis Industry. Then, top it off with new friends and an intimate dining experience.
Make and eat up to three sushi rolls and learn the art of joint-rolling in two hours from $79 per person in the Mile High City.
From there, you can enjoy all that Colorado’s recreational cannabis dispensaries have to offer.
Cannabis Meets Confection in Chicago
Up in Chicago, James Beard award-winning pastry chef Mindy Segal is baking up edibles that get you, well…baked.
They call her the Mistress of Deliciousness, and judging by the looks of it, she’s earned every syllable of that title. Segal has trained at some of Chicago’s most influential restaurants and is the chef and owner of Hot Chocolate Chicago which has a restaurant in Bucktown and a bakery at the Revival Food Hall in the business district.
Mindy’s Edibles, though, is a line of cannabis confections by Cresco Labs inspired by the treats in her own restaurants.
According to her website:
[Mindy’s] menus are innovative and ever-evolving based on locally available and seasonal ingredients. Each decadent edible in her artisans line is infused with Clear distillate extracted by Cresco’s own in-house lab for little-to-no cannabis taste; allowing her quality ingredients to shine true.
From dark chocolate almond toffee and snickerdoodle cookies to strawberry banana fruit chews and triple berry dummies, you have to head to Chicago and try to find these sweet treats.
A Thriving Coffeeshop Culture in Amsterdam
This one’s a little obvious, but perhaps the ultimate cannabis-themed food excursion is across the Atlantic in an oasis of coffee, cannabis is culture: Amsterdam.
Cannabis is legal to consume in over 250 coffeeshops in Amsterdam, and has been since 1976. It’s even legal to carry up to five grams for personal use.
Not only can you munch on the usual coffeeshop snacks and sip on coffee, you can also seek out some “space cakes,” or hash cakes. These delicious cakes are legal, cheap and delicious. However, as with most edibles, they’re likely quite potent and loaded with THC…so tread lightly.
According to The Culture Trip, coffeeshops like Paradox sell space cakes in addition to homemade milk shakes and hot chocolate. One user on TripAdvisor said of Paradox, “Your Amsterdam trip is not complete unless you stop by and enjoy a slice of their space cake & other goodies!! This is a small cafe on a side street that is just chill. Everyone including the owner was so friendly and had some good stories to share.”
Barney’s Coffeeshop is a renowned winner of multiple High Times Cup awards, and according to their website, initially became popular for their vast variety of meal options, especially their breakfasts which are still a staple to this day. The business started in ’86, but it wasn’t until ’92 when the business was sold to Derry Brett who combined a brilliant quality menu with “high quality herbal strains.”
If you’re looking for a taste of the rich and the famous, stop by Grey Area, which is a supposed hot spot for celebrities. Everyone from Snoop Dogg to Willie Nelson, the guys from Phish, Flavor Flav and B-Real have graced Grey Area with their presence. This is likely because the cannabis is so good. In the past, their cannabis has won 25 High Times Cannabis Cup awards, and in November 2016, they took home four of the five victory belts at the Amsterdam Unity Cup for Best Hash, Best Indica, Best Sativa and Best Hybrid!.
The other great thing about Amsterdam is the fact that, well, you’re not going to be driving anywhere. Everyone gets around via bike or public transportation, so you can enjoy your visit peacefully without getting paranoid about how to get around town.
Cannabis yummies at home?
If you’re not heading to this cool cannabis destinations any time soon, why not get products delivered to you?
There are plenty if great online CBD retailers, such as Dr Strains. Take a look at their great selection of cannabis products.
Read up on some of the other great city break destinations you can visit as a solo traveller.
