Airbnb and Cannabis Trafficking

In 2014, Oregon became the third state to legalize the production and consumption of marijuana, which has provided Oregon with over $1.2 billion in direct economic impacts, 12,500 jobs, over $110.8 million in legal cannabis sales in April 2021, and has established Oregon as a cannabis tourism hotspot. However, weak enforcement of cannabis regulation has resulted in illegal (unlicensed) production and the trafficking of the drug to states where cannabis use is still illegal, which has resulted in numerous community-based challenges including human trafficking and worker exploitation (for harvesting and transportation), Covid-19 outbreaks, water hijacking (during drought conditions), armed militias, South American cartel involvement, and the release of toxic chemicals into the environment.

By their very nature, illegal actions, especially those related to trafficking, use aspects of the travel and tourism infrastructure to facilitate operations. While hotels have come under scrutiny for their neglect in addressing illegal activities, specifically human trafficking, the sharing economy is also in demand, for the workers in both the production and transportation of illegal cannabis. Therefore, using a constructivist paradigm, this qualitative case study design attempts to capture the shared experience of Airbnb hosts in mitigating illegal activities on their properties. Two methods were used: direct approach content analysis of Airbnb discussion forums for hosts who share their concerns and news releases by Airbnb; and semi-structured interviews with Airbnb hosts in the southern Oregon region.

Four themes were discovered in the data: understanding southern Oregon; marijuana tourism; working with Airbnb; and host mitigation strategies. Understanding southern Oregon highlights the political divide common between urban and rural populations. Rural Oregon, like many rural areas, is steeped in a personal freedom of choice value system. While Oregon has a reputation as a liberal state, with a democratic governor and majority in the state legislature, there is a strong libertarian movement in the south. While marijuana has always been socially accepted in these communities (at least since the 1970s), the theft of water from local rivers is impacting the wildlife and fisheries, as well taking away government revenue from other local issues, such as homelessness and schools. Marijuana tourism refers to both an increase in demand for cannabis experiences (shopping, consumption, and visits to local farms) and unique marketing used by Airbnb hosts to support tourist interest. However, participants expressed concern regarding those employed in the illegal drug trade, specifically illegal harvesters or the transportation team that takes harvested cannabis out of Oregon. Working with Airbnb highlights the frustration experienced by hosts. Airbnb puts pressure on hosts to accept as many reservations as possible, and during the harvest season when suspicious reservations come in, hosts can lose their Super Host status or have their account suspended if they reject too many reservations. Host mitigation strategies offer ways to overcome Airbnb policies to avoid illegal marijuana workers. These include establishing communication with guests prior to accepting reservations, pricing strategies, limiting the number of nights a guest can stay during the harvest season, and explicit statements on the Airbnb site that illegal harvesters and transporters will be reported.

The author of this article is Dr. Sue Slocum, Associate Professor in the Tourism and Events Management program at George Mason University’s School of Sport, Recreation, and Tourism Management (SRTM). Dr. Slocum’s study, upon which this article is based, will be published in the Journal of Qualitative Research in Tourism and is currently in press. Mason’s Tourism and Events Management program prepares students for an exciting and fulfilling career in the economically robust industries of tourism, events, and hospitality. To learn more about our degree offerings, please visit the program website.