Support of marijuana tourism in Colorado: A residents’ perspective using social exchange theory

Abstract

Abstract This paper examines how residents’ support of marijuana tourism is shaped in the state of Colorado. Known as the new green rush,’ the legalization of recreational marijuana presents a significant research opportunity for the hospitality and tourism industry. This study employs social exchange theory to explain how perceived impacts affect an individual's level of support for marijuana tourism development. Findings reveal that social exchange theory fits the data well by confirming that the more residents perceive impacts positively, the more they are likely to support tourism. Furthermore, the moderating effect of place attachment exerts itself differently among the structural relationships across levels of place attachment. For high-level attachment residents, personal benefit contributes significantly to building up support toward marijuana tourism, whereas perceived negative impact and personal benefit are the only significant antecedents to support for low-level attachment residents. As a seminal work investigating residents’ perceptions in the context of marijuana tourism, this study contributes to the body of knowledge of tourism literature in this burgeoning area and serves as a guiding reference for future studies concerning marijuana tourism.