Ski stoned, be chauffeured in a limo and the pot and munchies are included in the $1,200 cost: Weed tourism hits Colorado slopes

Enterprising tour operators in Colorado are rushing to fill a growing demand for vacation packages combining their customers’ love of skiing and sightseeing with their taste for marijuana.

On January 1, Colorado will become the first in the nation to allow recreational pot sales following the passage of a law last year legalizing the possession and use small amounts of marijuana by anyone 21 years and older.

Timothy Vee's company, Colorado Highlife Tours, is one of several travel businesses now offering marijuana tours.



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High times: The travel company Colorado Highlife Tours has been doing brisk business selling packages that offer vacationers transportation to the local ski areas with marijuana thrown in

Budding industry: Tour companies and retail stores selling pot and paraphernalia have been popping up around Colorado since the passage of the law last year legalizing recreational marijuana



The goods: In testimonials, the tour company has been praised by happy customers for providing potent pot on the trip

Shopping trip: Besides taking tourists to the lopes, the travel company organizes retail tours where they take their customers to local dispenseries to stock up on their favorite herbal refreshments and snacks laced with pot Under the new law, adults are only allowed to spark up in private, which does not include a motor vehicle on a public road. Vee, however, has found a creative way to circumvent the rules by having his drivers offer his guests free pot in a parking lot, The Coloradoan reported. The practice takes advantage of a loophole in the law under which it is legal to give another person marijuana if no money exchanges hands for it. Tourists with $1,200 to spare can rent a limousine with a chauffeur who picks them up at the hotel and drives them to a ski resort. On the way, the day-trippers are welcome to get high and then treat themselves to an assortment of munchies free of charge.

While owners of ski resorts and local law enforcement officials have expressed concerns about the dangers of visitors going down the slopes while high, Vee claims it's been going on for years. Skiers in Colorado have been known to duck into the trees to spark up while enjoying their day on the slopes, and some resorts even boast illegal 'smoke shacks.'

Vee explained that his company is mostly catering to an older crowd - empty-nesters with deep pockets and fond memories of the 60s who want to get high in style. On its website, Colorado Highlife Tours provides a breakdown of the various trips it offers, which start at $99 for a basic marijuana shopping trip. Visitors are offered transportation to local dispensaries to pick up herbal refreshments of their choice in various formats, from cigarettes to pot-laced snacks and lotions, with stops at glass-blowing workshops that specialize in pipes.

High class: Tourists with $1,200 to spare can rent a limousine with a chauffeur who picks them up at the hotel and drives them to a ski resort

The drivers offer their VIP clients marijuana to smoke inside the limo

Munchies: Tour guides always have snacks and soda on hand to satisfy the cravings of the stoned sightseers The more high-end packages also include visits to private smoking clubs featuring pools and DJs, and trips to some of Denver’s major landmarks, including the Mile High stadium and local gardens. ‘It's nice not having to fly to Amsterdam so much,’ wrote a satisfied customer named Dave from Florida in a testimonial. ‘The smoke you had was very potent. Some of the best.’ But in many respects, pot tourism in Colorado is still an uncharted territory. Ski resort operators fear that the influx of stoners will drive away families weary of having their children exposed to marijuana smoke. Jenn Rudolph, a spokeswoman for the industry group Colorado Ski Country USA, said people who smoke in lift lines and on the slopes will get prosecuted and heavily fined. Legal pot's potential has spawned businesses beyond retail shops and tour companies.

Marijuana-testing companies have popped up, checking regulated weed for potency and screening for harmful molds. Gardening courses charge hundreds to show people how to grow weed at home. Dixie Elixirs & Edibles, maker of pot-infused foods and drinks, is making new labels for the recreational market and expanding production on everything from crispy rice treats to fruit lozenges. Legalized: On January 1, Colorado will become the first in the nation to allow recreational pot sales

'The genie is out of the bottle,' says company president Tripp Keber. 'I think it's going to be an exciting time over the next 24 to 48 months.'

It's easy to see why the industry is attracting so many people. A Colorado State University study estimates the state will ring up $606million in sales next year, and the market will grow from 105,000 medical pot users to 643,000 adult users overnight -- and that's not counting tourists.

Toni Fox, owner of 3D Cannabis Center in Denver, anticipates shoppers camping overnight to await her first-day 8 a.m. opening. She's thinking of using airport-security-line-style ropes to corral shoppers, and suspects she's going to run out of pot.