From Prohibition to Pot — A Calgary Walking Tour
Calgary has a cannabis history most people have never heard. We're going to change that.
Starting at Olympic Plaza, you'll visit the spot where Tommy Chong tried cannabis for the first time, long before Up In Smoke.
From there, the story unfolds along Stephen Avenue, where archaic laws and “reefer madness” pushed cannabis out of public view. Along the way, you’ll hear how culture persisted despite prohibition, with stops near the Royal Canadian Legion and stories of the earliest arrests and enforcement in Canada.
See rare historical artifacts, including handwritten court records and early references to cannabis dating back thousands of years.
Discover Calgary’s connections to global figures like Bob Marley, where some cannabis slang comes from, and why it’s even called 'cannabis' in the first place.
Led by longtime journalist Dave Dormer, this small-group experience offers a factual, story-driven look at an often misunderstood plant, and its surprising place in Calgary’s history.
Must be 18+
(Meeting place is at 8th Avenue and Macleod Trail S.)
Production facility Tours
Coming soon.
Cannabis education
Contact us to learn more about THC, CBD, terpenes and more. Corporate and private Cannabis classes available.
About
Cannanaskis was created by Dave Dormer in 2018 to do something no one else was doing: tell the real history of cannabis in Calgary and Alberta.
Dormer spent 27 years as a journalist and editor at the Calgary Sun, CBC and CTV, covering everything from city hall to crime scenes. He also taught journalism at SAIT. That background drives everything about how Cannanaskis operates, deep research, compelling storytelling, and a commitment to getting the facts right.
Calgary's cannabis history is richer than most people know. Tommy Chong smoked his first joint here. Emily Murphy wrote the book that helped make cannabis illegal here. The Rolling Stones Mobile Studio — the truck that recorded Bob Marley's No Woman No Cry — sits a short walk from where it all began. These are world-class stories. They deserve to be told.
Dormer has done extensive research on cannabis history, science and policy, learning from researchers, educators, licensed producers, retailers and advocates across Canada.
He also loves a good sativa-dominant strain.
Contact Us
Want to know more?
Want to choose your own experience? Send us a message below!