Raising the Grass Ceiling
Local Restaurateur is Lighting up Victoria’s Cannabis Tourism Industry
woRds by siMon oGden
On June 19, 2018, the national rallying cry of “4:20!” transformed from a call of protest to one of celebration. That was the day the Senate of Canada approved Bill C-45, the Cannabis Act, and announced that as of October 17 of that year the recreational use of marijuana would no longer be a criminal offence.
Victoria restaurateur Graham Meckling—at the time the owner of Stage in Fernwood and Broughton Street’s bygone grill and raw bar The Livet—predicted a bold new phase for the hospitality industry: patrons indulging in a puff of “experience enhancement” before sitting down to, perhaps, a tasting menu of beautiful food and wine, savouring the collective experience in a state of legal bliss.
“But nothing happened,” says Meckling. “Absolutely nothing. And as time went on there were still zero cannabis experiences”—he hesitates to call what he’s referring to “cannabis culture,” a label that was already stuck to furtive pre-legalization use—“nowhere to enjoy some cannabis and do something fun, where you can meet people.” Inspired in part by a Napa wine tour via limo with a group of friends and a complimentary bottle of bubbly, Meckling founded Victoria Cannabis Tours on April 20, 2023 (4/20, obvs).
“I loved this idea of exploring a new city in comfort, having a local pick me up and take me to a trusted dispensary to legally and safely buy some good cannabis, show me to a cool city-approved spot to enjoy it, then take me on a driving tour of beautiful spots I wouldn’t know how to find on my own, while getting inside intel on where to go for dinner, etc. So finally I just had enough of thinking about it and started it up.”
For an area rich in choices for wine, beer, and spirit tours, the South Island was oddly bereft of cannabis tourism companies before VCT opened for business, considering our home-grown reputation.
It’s still a shallow sector throughout the rest of the country, too. As Canadian tourism works to recover from pandemic lows, catering to cannabis-curious visitors from less tolerant areas—twenty-six of the United States, most of Australia, all of jolly old England, for starters—is a virtually untapped market.
Although Meckling and his company proudly celebrate the cannabis lifestyle, he acknowledges that the scarcity of related businesses is likely due to lingering stigmatization, traces of the dopey Cheech & Chong image of days past. “If you like having a couple of drinks on the weekend, you’re not assumed to be an alcoholic, but if you talk about using cannabis there’s still a fear you’ll be labelled a stoner.”
His mantra is “moderate consumption equals maximum experience,” and he maintains that most cannabis users take it responsibly, not as a party drug. In the 2023 federal government cannabis survey, 26 percent of Canadians sixteen and over said they regularly partake recreationally: “Which means one in four grandmas uses it,” says Meckling lightheartedly. “People use it and knit, go for a hike, play music—it’s about de-stressing, not smoking so much it puts you right to bed.”
After securing the appropriate licensing for a new mobile tour company, Meckling went to City Hall to ask for a list of approved areas where guests could legally spark up. After detailing his business plan, the city was nothing but supportive. “They said, ‘We can’t wait for it to be successful!’ They know the demand is there.” But when he applied for membership with Destination Greater Victoria (formerly Tourism Victoria), they were initially circumspect.
“They were leery because of the US legislation against cannabis, and rightly so,” Meckling says. But he persisted, pointing out that if the cannabis tourism sector isn’t established now as safe and responsible, it will be harder to maintain the high standards he champions when the field gets denser. DGV diligently monitored VCT over its first season, and Meckling proudly reports that they are now the first official cannabis tour company member of the tourism association.
The smoking portion of a VCT experience is a relatively minor component—most of the one hour and fifteen minute tour ($95 per head + tax) is spent enjoying the natural beauty of the city post-puff.
"The main reason I wanted to start this company is because I love building a great customer service experience."
“We’re primarily focused on what happens after you’ve used your cannabis—if you want to use it. I never tell people that they should or shouldn’t do it. You have to take a responsible approach to making sure people have a good time.”
Included in the price is bottled water, chocolate treats, and fresh towels if your feet end up in the ocean. “A great cannabis experience is all about the senses: you don’t want to feel stressed, it can’t be gross and sticky, it shouldn’t taste bad, and you don’t want to be hungry or thirsty. It’s our responsibility to take care of our guests’ needs.”
Right now the VCT is “primarily focused on people visiting Victoria who already like cannabis—when they hear about what we’re doing they get it immediately.” Meckling also recently founded the Cannabis Tourism Association of BC, a not-for-profit organization designed to encourage cannabis tours and establish a high standard of service. He is energized by the idea of being an early industry mentor, showing new companies how to start up and grow in ways that are easy and safe.
“I love the fact that there’s no competition and no governing body right now, because it gives me the chance to build it myself. It’s extremely rare to be the first one in a local industry, and I get to teach people how to be nice to each other, and how to curate a lovely time.”
So far all of VCT’s customers have reported nothing but positive experiences, and Meckling hopes to expand to Whistler at some point. Guests have arrived from varied places that have yet to legalize recreational cannabis—North Carolina, Vermont, Connecticut, and as far away as Australia, where in some states possession of even small amounts can land you a fifteen-year jail sentence.
“I gave a tour last season to a delightful lady from Australia who was a first-time user—she told me she didn’t even know what to do. I showed her how to light it and she took two puffs, and that was all she needed. She had a great time: we walked to a lookout, and the whole way up she talked about how much she missed her dog back home. So I took her to the Beacon Hill petting zoo and she cuddled a goat for twenty minutes. I’ve never seen anyone so happy.”
Learn more, or book a tour at Victoria Cannabis Tours