Beyond Prohibition: Why Inclusive Cannabis Tourism Could Create Opportunities Across the Global South
Political divisions are growing, concerns about American right-wing influence are rising, and debates over national sovereignty are intensifying. The results could significantly affect Indigenous communities, cultural heritage, and new industries.
As Brazil gets closer to a major presidential election, the country is dealing with issues that go well beyond cannabis and psychedelic drug policy.
Writer: Andrew Macfarlane
For South Africans, these changes bring up another important question:
“Could responsible regulation and inclusive cannabis and plant-based tourism create meaningful opportunities for local communities, rather than allowing prohibition and economic exclusion to limit their participation?”
In many countries across the Global South, traditional plant knowledge, cultural experiences, and new cannabis industries are drawing attention from around the world.
Places in South America that offer ayahuasca ceremonies, or in Southern Africa that offer cannabis experiences, now need to balance tourism, cultural protection, economic growth, and shifting attitudes about substances that used to be banned.
But a difficult contradiction keeps coming up.
Some international visitors can pay for costly retreats and wellness programs, but local communities often deal with unclear laws, are left out of new economic opportunities, and have few chances to benefit from these growing industries.
This brings up a question that goes beyond politics.
Could more inclusive tourism, with fair rules instead of strict bans, open new opportunities for communities often left out?
Brazil's Psychedelic Debate Raises a Global Question
In October 2026, Felipe De Nadai wrote an article in Chacruna Latinoamérica that examines Brazil’s political landscape and its relationship to psychedelic culture.
He also stayed at The Jazzfarm for several days this year.
The article explores Indigenous knowledge, environmental protection, international investment, drug policy, and the commercialisation of traditional plant practices.
While the article focuses on Brazil’s recent election, it also brings up issues that matter to countries outside South America.
One key issue is the link between people with traditional knowledge and those who make money by turning that knowledge into a business.
Ayahuasca, for example, has a long history within Indigenous and religious traditions in South America.
As ayahuasca becomes more popular around the world, it has led to new tourism opportunities where operators and retreat organisers welcome curious visitors who can afford to pay high prices.
But as this new tourism sector grows, people are asking who controls these experiences, how the knowledge is shared, and if the communities that keep these traditions alive also gain financially.
These questions do not mean that tourism or international investment is a bad thing.
Instead, they highlight why it is important to build these industries so that local people are included, cultural ownership is respected, and communities can benefit.
Tourism Should Create Opportunities Beyond the Tourist
Tourism already plays a big role in South Africa’s economy. In 2025, the country welcomed a record 10.5 million international tourists.
According to Statistics South Africa, the industry contributed R361.7 billion to the national economy in 2024, representing 4.9% of GDP and directly supporting nearly 954,000 jobs.
Domestic tourism is equally important. According to the Department of Tourism, South Africans took about 40 million domestic overnight trips during the 2024/25 financial year, spending R133.1 billion.
These numbers show how important tourism is for South Africa’s economy, but they also bring up an important question:
“How much more could smaller towns, independent businesses and historically excluded communities benefit if tourism development encouraged greater participation?”
For new areas like cannabis-related tourism, the opportunity is about more than just attracting visitors who are interested in cannabis culture.
Beyond attracting visitors interested in cannabis culture, inclusive tourism can introduce travellers to the people, businesses and attractions that give a destination its character.
Dare we say it,
“trickle-down economics.”
However, an important distinction exists between tourism revenue generated in a community and the money that actually reaches local businesses.
An expensive international retreat might attract wealthy visitors, but if a handful of operators control accommodation, transport, and other services, much of the revenue could remain concentrated in a few hands.
By contrast, tourism initiatives that actively involve independent businesses, local guides and cultural organisations can distribute visitor spending more widely.
After all, attracting tourists is one thing. Ensuring that their presence creates meaningful opportunities for the surrounding community is another.
South Africa: When Politics Overshadows Opportunity
South Africans are no strangers to political division, particularly when conversations turn to race, land ownership, immigration and the country’s economic future.
Like Brazil, South Africa is caught up in political narratives that extend well beyond its borders.
The influence of American politics has become increasingly visible, particularly following US President Donald Trump’s allegations about a so-called white genocide in South Africa, claims challenged by available evidence and independent fact-checkers.
These international disagreements have contributed to an already complicated political environment, where misinformation and emotionally charged narratives can easily overshadow practical discussions about economic development.
Ahead of South Africa’s November 2026 local government elections, Africa Check has highlighted how political spin can mislead the public, even when individual statements contain elements of truth.
The organisation has also documented misinformation surrounding immigration, including misleading videos, fabricated government notices and narratives capable of fuelling fear and social division.
Political disagreement is a normal part of democracy. However, when debate becomes dominated by fear, misinformation or ideological confrontation, important economic and social questions risk receiving less attention.
A Generation Questioning the Status Quo
Beyond the political rhetoric, a younger generation is increasingly challenging established political structures, with economic insecurity becoming a major source of frustration.
Across Europe, demonstrations in France, Belgium, Spain, Portugal and Italy have drawn attention to rising living costs, unaffordable housing, stagnant wages and pressure on public services.
According to an October 2026 report by El País, Generation Z has played a prominent role in these demonstrations, reflecting growing frustration among younger Europeans about their economic futures.
The scale of the unrest is significant. Al Jazeera reported that hundreds of thousands of people participated in separate demonstrations across several European countries on 17 October 2026.
Although these protests have different origins and political objectives, they share an important concern: whether governments and existing economic systems are providing ordinary people with meaningful opportunities.
For countries such as South Africa and Brazil, these developments raise questions about more than political leadership.
If economic opportunities remain concentrated among a relatively small section of society, how can younger generations and historically excluded communities build a more secure future?
This is where Felipe De Nadai’s discussion in Chacruna Latinoamérica becomes particularly relevant.
His article examines more than psychedelic substances or recreational drug policy. It considers political power, national sovereignty, foreign influence and the future of communities whose traditional knowledge is increasingly attracting international commercial interest.
For South Africa, the parallels offer an opportunity to examine how emerging industries could develop in ways that benefit local people, rather than becoming another battleground for political point-scoring.
Cannabis, Legislation and Economic Participation
South Africa has already experienced a lengthy debate about cannabis, cultural heritage and the rights of individuals.
The Constitutional Court’s landmark 2018 ruling recognised the constitutional protection of private adult cannabis use, possession and cultivation.
The Cannabis for Private Purposes Act of 2024 subsequently provided for a legislative framework, although its commencement remains subject to proclamation.
Importantly, the recognition of private cannabis rights does not automatically legalise recreational cannabis sales, public consumption or commercial cannabis tourism.
Nevertheless, South Africa’s changing approach to cannabis offers an opportunity to explore how the plant’s cultural, agricultural, and historical significance could support responsible tourism.
This need not revolve around consumption.
Educational experiences, cultural history, horticultural exhibitions and discussions about traditional plant knowledge could all form part of a broader visitor experience, provided activities comply with the law.
Instead of treating cannabis-related tourism exclusively as a controversial political subject, perhaps the more useful conversation is about how appropriate regulations could support responsible entrepreneurship and protect communities.
Community-Based Tourism: Turning Potential into Opportunity
South Africa already recognises the importance of more inclusive tourism development.
The country’s 2024 White Paper on the Development and Promotion of Tourism identifies broader economic participation, entrepreneurship and partnerships as important elements of the sector’s future.
For smaller towns and rural areas, new visitor interests could help them offer more types of tourism.
This is especially true for cannabis-related tourism, which could add to existing hospitality, farming, arts, and cultural attractions.
Instead of creating experiences that only help a few operators, partnerships between tourism groups, business owners, and community leaders could help share economic benefits more widely.
But successful partnerships need more than just good intentions.
Communities need chances to help plan, build businesses, and have a real say in how their areas are promoted.
Not every community will welcome cannabis-related activities, and those concerns also deserve consideration.
The objective should be to encourage responsible development while respecting the people who live and work in these destinations.
Protecting Culture Without Excluding Enterprise
One of the most important themes in De Nadai’s article is the relationship between traditional plant knowledge and the international commercial interests developing around it.
Across the Global South, Indigenous communities and traditional knowledge holders have preserved botanical practices through generations of cultural experience.
As international interest grows, so do questions about cultural ownership, representation and compensation.
Traditional knowledge could be repackaged into expensive tourism experiences while the communities associated with it receive little benefit.
Yet commercial development and cultural preservation don’t necessarily have to compete.
Community partnerships, appropriate recognition, and fair compensation could let traditional knowledge holders participate in economic opportunities while retaining meaningful control over their cultural heritage.
This is particularly relevant in South Africa, where Indigenous knowledge, agriculture, and cultural tourism already shape the country’s broader identity.
Rethinking Cannabis Tourism Through Route 420
For Rolling Stoner, these discussions connect with the broader philosophy behind Route 420.
The initiative is about more than identifying cannabis-related destinations. It encourages travellers to explore South Africa through its people, businesses, cultural experiences and established tourism attractions.
Cannabis culture can introduce a destination without becoming the only reason to visit.
Importantly, this approach also creates room for businesses with no direct relationship to cannabis.
A local guesthouse, restaurant, adventure operator, or craft producer doesn’t need to become a cannabis business to benefit from visitors exploring a region’s wider cultural offerings.
This is where inclusive tourism supports economic development.
The potential lies in connecting existing enterprises with emerging visitor interests, rather than creating an entirely separate tourism economy.
Inclusion Requires More Than an Open Door
Inclusive tourism does not mean disregarding legislation or dismissing public health and safety concerns.
It requires responsible planning, appropriate safeguards and meaningful engagement with local stakeholders. Also, it means recognising that communities are not always united in their views about cannabis, tourism development or commercial activity.
The experiences of Brazil and South Africa demonstrate how debates about cultural identity, economic opportunity and individual rights can become entangled with much larger ideological disagreements.
Misinformation makes these conversations harder by encouraging people to respond to exaggerated threats or misleading claims instead of considering the evidence.
But a disagreement over cannabis policy does not have to prevent cooperation on broader objectives such as job creation, small-business development and cultural preservation.
Looking Beyond Borders and Bans
With Brazil approaching its presidential runoff on 25 October 2026, its political future remains intensely debated.
The country’s divisions extend beyond psychedelic culture and drug legislation to questions of democracy, sovereignty, international influence and the economic future of its citizens.
South Africa faces different circumstances, but some of the underlying challenges are familiar.
Both countries must balance different political views while considering how new industries, traditional knowledge, and tourism can drive economic growth.
Neither banning nor fully commercialising these industries gives a complete solution.
Careful regulation, respect for culture, and genuine community involvement are key considerations for policymakers, business owners, and tourism groups.
The most important lesson may be that economic development should not become just another political debate.
It should also include real conversations about the people whose lives, businesses, and communities could be affected.
In the end, tourism should be measured not just by how many visitors come, but by the opportunities it creates for the people who live there.
The best journeys do more than just take visitors to new places. They leave something valuable behind.