Westword: What prompted the decision to expand beyond California, as cannabis travel and hospitality are still so young?
Brian Applegarth: In 2017 I was encouraged by a colleague to create an association, and I eventually founded the California Cannabis Tourism Association [later rebranded as the Cannabis Travel Association International]. It was dedicated to California, and our goal was to lead and advocate for safe and responsible cannabis tourism in a regulatory environment. I knew there would be a lot of work to do to build a bridge between the cannabis and travel industries. What we learned over three years was that people from outside of California and the country were repeatedly contacting us. It became obvious we could serve a higher purpose and a larger geographical footprint.