Question: So as a skier how do feel about ski bus marijuana tours?

[mustski]

I was hearing about this and decided to research it. With marijuana now legal in Colorado, the inevitable has happened. A tour group for pot smokers which includes ski buses. I am not entirely sure how I feel about it. What if it came to your home mountain? Thoughts?
Here is a link:

https://www.coloradohighlifetours.com

 

[geargrrl]

My thought is that stoners on ski hills is nothing new. So maybe there might be more "impaired" skiers out there, but impaired skiers/boarders is nothing new. There've been people getting loaded at bars at ski hills for years. At least the bus stoners aren't driving.

 

[abc]

I was hearing about this and decided to research it. With marijuana now legal in Colorado, the inevitable has happened. A tour group for pot smokers which includes ski buses. I am not entirely sure how I feel about it. What if it came to your home mountain? Thoughts?
Here is a link:

https://www.coloradohighlifetours.com

The law is the law. It's approved by the CO voters. I'm sure some locals think it's a bad idea while others don't think why anyone think it's a big deal at all. But that's the reality and the pot smokers will be in some mountains, even bus load of them whether anyone like it or not.

I'm not a CO voter so how I feel about the issue is irrelevant.

 

[mustski]

My son is 16 now so it wouldn't affect our travel plans at this point. But, if I had young kids, I'd probably travel to Utah resorts instead.

 

[mustski]

It occurred to me that I should explain this more. This is not just transportation. This is a company which is actively selling to "pot smokers" nation wide with the sell being this: the bus will stop at a local shop so you can load up on weed and supplies. The bus is a party bus where everyone can smoke all they want on the way to the mountain. It's basically a party bus that will provide refreshments, a pot shop stop, and transportation to the various ski mountains in Colorado. This is not just a pot head lighting up on the chair. This is a bus load of fully "loaded" people... or however many buses they can fill.

 

[ski diva]

I read that Breckenridge has banned marijuana sales downtown (go here). And according to this article about Breckenridge, "Marijuana use is still illegal in public, and violators of the law at the ski resort can find themselves with their lift tickets or season passes being revoked, removal from the resort, and/or possible fines from the police department."

 

[Serafina]

I don't care for the thought of impaired skiers, regardless of the source of the impairment. I, personally, do not kick back a single beer until after I've taken my boots off for the day. The thought of a drink at the summit lodge has appeal, because our new summit lodge is gorgeous, and the views are amazing...but I don't think I'd want to hit the hill after that. Skiing gives me all the buzz I want or need, and I would worry constantly about doing something clumsy and injuring myself and ruining my season. Also, I don't want drunks behind me on the hill.

That said, I also don't want teens who are texting their way down the slope on the hill with me, and I would rather do without testosterone-pumped orthodontists, or people who thought they'd just skip the bunny hill and head straight to the top, and don't even get me started on the subject of snowboarders who get in over their heads and deal with it by setting their edge parallel to the drop and plowing all the loose stuff directly to the bottom. I don't see this bunch as being any more or less dangerous than someone who's had a couple at the top, or a busload of pot-smoking hippies. Heck. I'd probably rather have the pot-smoking hippies than the testosterone soaked weekend warriors.

 

[contesstant]

The thought of a busload of stoned skiers hitting the slopes after they get stoned on a bus does not appeal to me at all. After the ski day, they can do whatever they want.

 

[vickie]

a pot shop stop

A "potty break"

 

[abc]

It occurred to me that I should explain this more. This is not just transportation. This is a company which is actively selling to "pot smokers" nation wide with the sell being this: the bus will stop at a local shop so you can load up on weed and supplies. The bus is a party bus where everyone can smoke all they want on the way to the mountain. It's basically a party bus that will provide refreshments, a pot shop stop, and transportation to the various ski mountains in Colorado. This is not just a pot head lighting up on the chair. This is a bus load of fully "loaded" people... or however many buses they can fill.

I'm willing to be proven wrong. But I don't know too many serious skier who are potheads. Nor any serious pot smoker who give a flying fuk about skiing.

Sure, I know skier who smoke a joint occasionally. But that's about it, far from "loaded".

So I somehow doubt the ski-pot bus will fly. They're probably just putting it up as a feeler for the market. I suspect they'll simply end up with bus loads of partying pot smoker who just want to stop at the pot shop but have no interest in skiing.

After all,

Skiing gives me all the buzz I want or need

So in short, I somehow don't think there's a large market for combining those two to fill their party bus to ski area. It's a bit premature to start worry about the worst of it.

But I've always been an optimist. I could be wrong. There maybe a huge population who loves to ski while "loaded"? ;-)

 

[mustski]

I've never know any serious pot-heads motivated enough to get up in the morning and ski, but I have known a few who would quite happily hit the slopes later in the day. I would guess that as long as we avoid Christmas break and the traditional University of Spring Break week, it probably won't be a big deal. On those vacation weeks and weekends though ....? Head to Utah!

 

[bounceswoosh]

I don't want people on the ski hill that are impaired in any fashion - alcohol or harder drugs. But they're there already. You know what's even scarier? People driving home wasted.

 

[Christy]

Interesting solution. There's been talk here about pot tourism but no one knows how it would work, since you can't smoke in public or in hotel rooms. A bus tour solves that We don't have ski tourists but we have lots of regular tourists--I bet bus tours of Seattle that let you smoke pot (maybe with a visit to Jimi Hendrix's grave?) is in the future. Really, it's not much different than the brewery or distillery tours that already exist here. And it's not more ridiculous than the Cycle Saloon (how this thing is street legal is beyond me):

So I don't see ski stoner tours as a big deal. I doubt THAT many people will do them; it's hard for me to imagine more stoners on any hill than are already at Stevens Pass; at least they aren't driving; and I'd rather ski with stoners than all the dangerous people Serafina mentioned. etc.

 

[mustski]

But they will be driving ... after the bus tour. Unless it is a group that is all staying at one hotel and doesn't have any plans to go out later.

 

[Christy]

They don't have a car if they take the ski bus. The tour picks them up in Denver or at the airport, gets them stoned on the way, and takes them to their hotel in Breck, Copper, or whereever. It's just like the shuttle, but for stoners. No car is involved.

In fact I wonder how many even make it on to the slopes. I can imagine a lack of motivation by the time they get up there, then they have to check in to the hotel, drop their stuff, change...

 

[contesstant]

Eat and eat...

 

[vickie]

Eat and eat...

business opportunity ... running a concession stand on the bus

 

[geargrrl]

But they will be driving ... after the bus tour. Unless it is a group that is all staying at one hotel and doesn't have any plans to go out later.

It does wear off, just like a booze buzz.

 

[geargrrl]

business opportunity ... running a concession stand on the bus

Now that is funny and a great idea!

 

[geargrrl]

I don't want people on the ski hill that are impaired in any fashion - alcohol or harder drugs. But they're there already. You know what's even scarier? People driving home wasted.

That is certainly not unique to potheads. All you need to do is observe the parking lot at any ski area when they close the bar down. I know of one ski area where it was enough of a problem that there was a threat of DUI patrols to be set up on the highway.

Must ski, you sound terrified. But drinkers don't freak you out? Do you avoid ski areas that have bars?

I see it as no big deal. As Bounceswoosh says, there are already impaired people out there: they are already smoking dope out in the trees, they've been at the bar drinking, they are on painkillers. As Christi points out, pot mellows people out. I can see a lot of stoners sitting at the top taking the view in, chilling, but not going anywhere except to the lodge for munchies.

As with any substance that impairs judgement, legal or not, there will be recreational users, heavy users, abusers and addicts. Think about how destructive alcohol is, and it is very legal.