by Dan Ketchum
The Airbnb scene has a leg up on hotels for being unique, vibey, diverse and oftentimes affordable, but not every Airbnb rental is a safe space for cannabis users — in fact, lighting up could violate your user agreement and result in some nasty penalties. Fortunately for travelers who partake, plenty of hosts offer 420-friendly Airbnbs, specified right in the description. Here’s a guide for taking your cannabis caravan on the road safely and in style.
Airbnb and Cannabis: The Rules
Straight from the source, Airbnb fully allows the possession and personal consumption of cannabis in any location where the leaf is legal for adults. It’s up to the host, however, to determine whether or not that violates the house rules (more on that later). Moreover, the company even allows host properties to cultivate cannabis where it’s legal, so you may find a few plants on the grounds.
What doesn’t fly with Airbnb, though, is distribution of cannabis. Stays, “Experiences” and properties surrounding the lodging can’t be used to sell, give away or otherwise distribute cannabis products, despite local legality. So you probably won’t find a fresh vape pen on the pillow in the master bedroom.
Potential Consequences
Penalties for breaking local laws aside, you can face consequences for using cannabis in Airbnbs when the host states that it’s against the house rules — and by consequences, we mean more than just setting off the smoke alarm. Hosts can charge additional fees for cleaning expenses or house rule violations, and they may also report the violations to Airbnb. In the worst case, hosts can evict you from the property before the checkout date, as Entrepreneur notes, when you break house rules (or they may just leave you a bad review).
Bad reviews, evictions and house rule violations can eventually get you banned from using Airbnb as a guest at all.
How To Find a 420-Friendly Airbnb
When searching for a 420-friendly Airbnb, your first step should be to open the filters menu, scroll down to the “House rules” section, and check the box next to “Smoking allowed” (you can do this on mobile or desktop). While it’s not currently possible to search Airbnb by keyword (you can always Google the term “Airbnb” along with the city of your choice and “420 friendly” or “cannabis” for some good hits), clicking the “unique listings” filter on the results page often helps you land on cannabis-friendly stays. In many cases, the listing’s description will explicitly say that it’s a 420-friendly Airbnb.
Some popular Airbnbs also have their own dedicated sites you can find through Google, and you can turn to specialized services like Bud and Breakfast to help you lock down weed-friendly lodgings worldwide. If the Airbnb host’s rules for a place you’re interested in are unclear, don’t hesitate to drop them a friendly line via the “Contact Host” button on the listing’s page.
California Green Getaways
If you’re in California, here are a few 420-friendly Airbnbs and experiences throughout the state:
- Rancho de Colores (Mojave Desert, $142 per night): This three-bedroom desert home is absolutely splattered with technicolor art, from the neon-striped patio to Pollock-esque outdoor pianos and “Cowboy” pools, all among 360-degree views of the Mojave.
- North Park Garden Room (San Diego, $65 per night): For something more personal and urban that doesn’t feel urban at all, this tiny-home-like backyard cabin in North Park is surrounded by plants and proud to be both LGBTQ and 420 friendly.
- Hicksville Trailer Palace (Joshua Tree, $136 per night): This camping experience caters exclusively to the 21-and-over crowd with an unforgettable variety of vintage campers, cabins and teepees that evoke everything from mid-century cool to John Waters kitsch, and it’s about 15 minutes away from Joshua Tree National Park.
- Hermosa House (Camino, price on request): The host curates a more luxe experience with bed-and-breakfast style lodgings and also offers services like “High Tea,” yoga classes, guided meditation, art workshops and cannabis information sessions.
Before you head out, set yourself a reminder to never neglect our two golden rules of 420-friendly travel: Pack your Mistifi pens first, and always, always, always be respectful to your hosts.
Dan Ketchum is an LA-based freelance lifestyle, fashion, health and food writer with more than a decade of experience. He’s been fortunate enough to collaborate and publish with companies such as FOCL, Vitagenne, Livestrong, Reign Together, Out East Rosé, SFGate, The Seattle Times and more.
References:
Airbnb – Prohibited Activities
Entrepreneur – How To Handle Airbnb Guests Who Break the Rules
Bud and Breakfast – Home
Airbnb – Using Search Filters
Airbnb – Rancho de Colores Desert Retreat
Airbnb – Hicksville Trailer Palace
Airbnb – North Park Garden Room
Hermosa House – Packages