Pot Tourisn ArticleMore business $$$ Canada could eventually get $2B boost from pot tourism: Expert David George-Cosh, BNN Bloomberg Canada could eventually generate as much as $2 billion in annual tourism revenue related to the cannabis industry once the drug is legalized for recreational use this October but it will take time to ramp up, according to an industry expert. Its been difficult to derive an accurate figure on the burgeoning cannatourism industry given that marijuana itself has yet to be fully legalized in Canada. However, Shaman Ferraro, CEO of cannabis tourism guide Gocanna, says Canada should expect a boon in tourism revenue. Ferraros estimates are based on a report that Colorados tourism agency commissioned in 2015, which found that four per cent of the states tourists visited solely because of legal marijuana dispensaries, and 23 per cent said access to cannabis was a positive influence on their decision to visit. It is also based on Statistics Canada data on how much U.S. tourists spend while visiting Canada, Ferraro said. Marketing cannabis edibles: Opportunities and challenges Fatima Zaidi, vice-president of business development at Eighty-Eight, joins BNN Bloomberg to provide perspective on marketing cannabis edibles. The tourism sector is going to be huge for cannabis, said Ferraro, who spoke to BNN Bloomberg on the sidelines of the Marijuana Business Daily conference last week. While some family-friendly establishments will likely opt out of allowing patrons to use cannabis on site, Ferraro said he expects a significant number of operators in Canada will be pot-friendly and cater to the growing market, Ferraro said. Theres going to be some early adopters but as the industry evolves, youre likely to see more integration of cannabis in tourism hot spots, Ferraro said. That being said, Ferraro doesnt see the tourism sector generating the full $2 billion out of the gate in the first year of legalization. That will take some time, especially after the industry and regulators better understand how to market cannabis to curious tourists, he said. Ferraro noted that municipalities will have a strong voice on how comfortable they will be with having busloads of cannabis-focused tourists descend on local establishments looking for a tour of a grow-op, for example. As well, how exactly businesses publicly promote cannabis will be an issue for tourism operators, given current government restrictions established in the legislation that legalizes the drug, said Trina Fraser, partner at Brazeau Seller Law, during a panel discussion on the topic at the Marijuana Business Daily conference. The legislation consists of strict regulations on how cannabis can be marketed, prohibiting company sponsorships, contests and endorsements by celebrities. Violators will be subject to licence suspensions, fines as high as $5 million or jail time, according to Health Canada.