At Nicole Butler’s bed and breakfast there is cannabis found in the confections that greet guests at the time of check-in, as well as the delicious homemade shrimp and grits, as well as other meals she prepares and the snacks she offers for those who are hungry. This is the start of weed hotels and Airbnbs.
“I’ve really just tried to give people what they’re used to, just with the added element of cannabis,” Butler added.
With the permission of the landlord of her property, Butler started listing in the year 2018 her three-bedroom, three-bathroom townhouse located in Washington, D.C. on BudandBreakfast.com, which lets guests connect with hosts who permit marijuana usage on their property.
The site isn’t as big with only 22,000 active listings, as compared to Airbnb’s 6 million. However, the niche market of accommodations that are cannabis-friendly is gaining attention and is currently legal in 19 states as well as Washington. The tourism industry for cannabis in general is now an industry worth $17 billion, according to the latest information provided by Forbes.
A few hosts who offer cannabis-friendly accommodations allow guests to smoke or consume cannabis on the premises. Rooms start at $420 per night for instance, Butler offers a fully well-stocked cannabis bar, with various varieties to choose from and yoga classes and CBDmassages as well as cannabis-related education.
A hairstylist before the outbreak, Butler began managing the breakfast and bed-and-breakfast business full-time when she was employed at a salon that in was closed in the aftermath of the pandemic. Butler says the business started to survive within 1 year.
“I think the pandemic made people really appreciate experiences, self-care, and just doing things that make them feel good,” Butler said. Butler.
A rising trend
The sales of cannabis within the U.S. are projected to increase from $25 billion in 2021 and reach $42 billion by 2026, according the cannabis analysis firm BDSA.
Some of the people who are looking to profit on the expanding market includes Sean Roby, who launched BudandBreakfast.com in the year 2015. Owners of homes can post their property for bookings on a short-term basis in states where medicinal or recreational marijuana use is permitted. When he first launched the website, Roby said his business partners were skeptical about whether the public would be willing to accept the idea of allowing guests to smoke cannabis on their property.
“We get dozens of bookings per day now,” he added.vOn the website, information on the site outlines which areas in the home smoking is permitted, whether cannabis will be available or if BYOB is allowed — bring your own bud. They also provide information on local dispensaries as well as cannabis-friendly events taking place in the region.
“We have places that are booked out six months in advance,” Roby told me.
Deontae Mack has also been inviting guests to his website startup Vibesbnb.com, where the site lists rentals that are cannabis-friendly. The site hosts hundreds of listings mainly located in Florida as well as Mack claimed that around 2,000 guests have registered in the first year of its existence.
Florida is one of the top tourist destinations within the U.S., still does prohibit recreational use of cannabis. After lawmakers approved a bill in 2016, which allowed medical cannabis use on private property, Mack, an Uber and Lyft driver at the time saw an opportunity to earn a profit.
“People do not want to be inconvenienced when they smoke and some actually have medical needs,” Mack stated. “But when people travel to Florida, if they do smoke for whatever reason, the only place that they can do that is at a private residence.”
Mack lists his listings Mack’s listings Vibesbnb along with Airbnb. He says that people can reserve any of the listings through Airbnb or directly go to his website for a cheaper booking.
Deontae Mack, founder and CEO of VibesbnbCourtesy: Deonte Mack
As per Airbnb’s community policy marijuana possession and use is permitted “in locations where it is legal and does not violate any house rules.” However, Airbnb doesn’t permit users to search directly for properties that are cannabis-friendly, nor does it permit hosts to advertise their homes as cannabis-friendly.
“If a guest is curious about a Host’s host rules on cannabis in their listing, we encourage guests to contact the Host ahead of booking to ask them for more information,” Airbnb announced in an announcement.
Mack made plans to sell Vibesbnb and investors into the year 2019 after having success listing his home, and later other apartments were rented as cannabis-friendly accommodation on websites such as Airbnb as well as Vrbo. He evaded the rules of the website by adding “420 friendly” in the description, which allowed guests to locate him via Google searches.
“I’m trying to become like the Airbnb of cannabis in Florida,” Mack stated.
Cashing in
The growth of cannabis into the mainstream captured Jeremiah’s interest while as a student of Cornell’s School of Hotel Administration.
“There are so many opportunities that the Black community is missing out on because of its traumatic response to marijuana, because of this traumatic history with the plant,” Swain stated.
Swain along with his colleague from school Cameron Wesley Scott founded a research-based cannabis firm located in Ithaca, New York. Swain said he is hoping it can grow into one of the state’s first cannabis-focused hotels that is boutique, with a total of 65 rooms.
“We’re looking at mid- to late 2025, depending on how quickly we close our fundraising,” the CEO stated.
The building hasn’t been completed yet, however the architect has said he’s planning an atrium style area that includes living plants and spas, and yoga studios.
The pair have been cultivating marijuana for the adult-only recreational market of New York state through his 8th Wonder Cannabis Company. They were awarded $300,000 in angel investment, but they are still seeking funding for the construction of the hotel.