Cannabis for the Sandwich Generation

Jeanine Buckley
Aug 1, 2017
3 min read

Since Oregon is experiencing adult-use cannabis for its first full fiscal year, one company in particular, Blazing Trails Bend, is fully embracing the trend. While most people think of weed tours as a limousine service with tinted windows, Stacie and Tristan have recognized the need to be adaptable, and have adjusted accordingly.

Most tours are found in Portland, Oregon's hip capital, with dispensaries galore and a full range of products and services. However, if you want to really experience the full splendor of Oregon's stunning outdoor beauty, head south 3.5 hours to Bend, Oregon's outdoor playground capital. Bend could be compared to Boulder or Breckenridge with organic farms, farm to table restaurants, and every outdoor activity imaginable. Learn how to paddle upright, take an adrenaline white river rafting trip, mountain bike some intense trails, but whatever you do, enjoy the outdoors Oregon has to offer.

Even if you're not seeking outdoor adventure, enjoy some local Oregon brew tours, as Oregon is the second largest producer of hops in the US. And in central Oregon, you can have your pick of breweries, with 26 in Bend alone. Three of the most popular breweries are Deschutes Brewery, Boneyard Beer and Bridge 99 Brewery.

Or learn about some of Oregon's fun history of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, or the 1850s Gold Rush. And obviously, there's a new gold rush in town, cannabis! Oregon has embraced the legalization of cannabis, as it was the first state to decriminalize marijuana, back in 1973.

So it's only natural that Oregon is the fourth state to accept adult-use cannabis. Oregon is taking a very strategic approach, carefully watching what both Colorado and Washington state have done, and learning from their mistakes. But they are also adding their unique Oregonian approach, proactively meeting with legislators in DC to discuss current issues and create a sustainable organic movement in Oregon.

By the same token, both owners of Blazing Trails Bend are doing just that. Former managers of a medical marijuana clinic, with Tristan Reisfar even helping to get medical MJ passed, they both strongly promoted the changeover to recreational cannabis, even though it meant the eventual closing of their medical clinic. However, because they are known in Bend not only for their expertise for everything cannabis, they were soon giving spontaneous tours, including visits to local Bend dispensaries. Thus Blazing Trails Bend was born in Jan 2017.

Stacie Johnson, in charge of marketing and everything else, knows cannabis as a medical patient from a sports injury, and was one of the first Oregon patients to be issued a medical cannabis card. This helps her to be the compassionate side of the tour, advising people what form is best for them and what strains are best for which ailments.

Strangely enough, their tours have taken on a life of their own. They planned for busy weekends, but are mostly busy during the week. They planned for the millennials to be on the tours, however, are finding a loyal following with the sandwich generation wanting to wean their parents from their numerous prescribed medications. And they really provide value on their tours, educating their customers on how to make their own cannabis tinctures, topicals and capsules.

They even offer a tour of a hemp farm, as Oregon is allowing the cultivation of industrial hemp. Contrary to the widely held belief that hemp is a drug, it actually has thousands of uses, everything from paper, to biofuel, to digestible seeds, to allergy-free insulation.

I think though, the best thing about this tour is that it's a non-smoking cannabis tour. There is absolutely no peer pressure to try anything. Tristan even commented he doesn't want his van to smell like the Magic Bus, and they really want people to feel assured when taking the tour. So the next time you come to Oregon, head directly to Bend, give Stacie and Tristan a call and enjoy one of the most unique experiences you'll ever encounter, surrounded by Oregon's stunning natural wonders.