SOQUEL, Calif.- Medical marijuana dispensaries in Oakland are turning into tourist destinations. So we went to Santa Cruz County to find out if the same thing is happening along the Central Coast.
Dispensaries in Santa Cruz County said patients are traveling to get medical marijuana because now it's harder to come by.
"There's a lot of dispensaries that are being shut down, which means that people have a harder time getting their medicine," said Granny Purps general manager JD Black.
Granny Purps in Soquel said they aren't seeing full blown medical marijuana tourism industry boom or pot tours like dispensaries are seeing in Oakland. But they wouldn't be surprised if it started happening.
"I have heard of almost like a tour circuit of medical marijuana dispensaries. I've never been on anything like that myself," Black said.
Granny Purps said about 30% of their medical marijuana patients are from out of town.
"I think people do come to this area, or destination for the beach and for the boardwalk in Santa Cruz and Monterey and then they will look us up," Black said.
Black said they have about 13,000 regulars and about 20-30 new patients a day, from places like Fresno or Los Angeles. He said some have a lot of questions and concerns. But others are just coming by to see what medical marijuana is all about.
"Well I am an alumni of Oaksterdam University from years ago and I know gosh 5 years ago when I was at the university, there was lots of people from out of state trying to get educated on medical marijuana," Black said.
According to research by a UC Santa Cruz professor, 73% of the users in the state are men and on average they are somewhat younger, have slightly more years of formal education and more often than not, they're employed.
