Legal cannabis in the U.S. and tourism-related experiences are projected to hit $37 billion in 2024. A key player in Northern California’s "Emerald Triangle," Visit Mendocino County stands ready to showcase its cache. Owing to the region’s terroir and diverse microclimates, Mendocino county’s cannabis and CBD products–along with Trinity and Humboldt counties–represent the largest cannabis-producing region in the United States. Cannabis is Mendocino County’s top cash crop, raking in $131 million with 290 acres of licensed cultivation.
“With 68 percent of Americans supporting adult use and half of millennials noting access to legal recreational cannabis as important when choosing a vacation destination, luring this new market is key to smoking the competition,” says Travis Scott, executive director of Visit Mendocino County.
Whether seeking to reconnect, ramp up wellness or boost creativity, cannabis-related tourism is on the rise. Travelers are seeking out more than just a novel dispensary. Like the wine enthusiast hooked on VIP vineyard tours, estate tastings, wine education and food and beverage pairings, cannabis-lovers want experiences that are equally alluring, especially when paired with luxury offerings that differentiate a destination.
From a cannabis-forward stay at The Madrones, paired with a micro-dosed seven-course meal at the Brambles, to a private 20-acre camp tucked deep in the ancient redwoods, Mendocino has a diverse lineup of options for cannabis-curious travelers. At the MacCallum House Inn, set in the village of Mendocino, guests can enjoy a private deck and spa. Here, the “Everything But the Bud” package includes all the accoutrements for imbibing, along with delivery service. In Hopland, The Thatcher Hotel offers plenty of cannabis opportunities. Next door, MendoCann dispensary offers a selection of locally grown green, including the Super Loud Farms Watermelon Mimosa.
Located in Philo, surrounded by vineyards and redwoods, the Madrones and Brambles offer a canna-cation with a culinary slant. The new “Cannabis Tasting & Tour Weekends” itinerary includes a private tour to the five-acre Sugar Hill farm, lodging and a cannabis-forward repast curated by San Francisco chef Bronson Macomber of Plato Verde Social Club.
Yokayo Ranch, set on 40 acres outside of Ukiah offers a cannabis-forward private retreat. Three types of lodgings: A 1950s Main House, Bunk House and Pool Cabanas, make for a comfortable stay for 29 guests. The property includes the Yokayo Roots Farm, a saltwater pool, hot tub, alfresco fire pit and kitchen.
Those seeking a rendezvous with Mother Nature can head north to Willits and command the 20-acre Emerald Triangle’s Cannabis Friendly Tent Camping site, ideal for an extended family reconnect or forest bathing enthusiasts. The 160-acre property is owned by cannabis homesteaders and stewards of the land. The Sunday farmer’s market in Laytonville is also nearby.
Visitors to Mendocino County can also participate in a “Puff & Paint” session every Wednesday at 4:20 p.m. or head to Fort Bragg’s The Bakery, which offers artisanal cannabis products. In Ukiah, visitors can tap into the Plantshop for a stash of local sun-grown herb or a medicated yoga session. On site, a spacious half-acre Consumption Lounge provides a safe and communal environment for imbibing.
The Compassionate Heart, the original home of the $5 pre-roll, offers a selection of local green, along with an al fresco smoke lounge. For a collective high, visitors can check out Kure Wellness, with three outposts, offering a shaded smoke lounge and locally sourced product. Farther north, Willits is home to the Cannabis Culture Museum, offering 50-plus years of insight and ephemera on the ancient use of marijuana as medicine, hemp culture, cannabis counter culture and more (by appointment).
Other key regional romps include a visit to the Bohemian Chemist in wine-centric Anderson Valley. This is the luxury stop with a bespoke lineup of notions and potions set in a vintage Art Deco apothecary. It focuses on sun-grown cannabis, edibles and tinctures, with an Oak Terrace consumption lounge and two adjacent wine-tasting venues. Bohemian Chemist offers signature house products, besides small craft brands such as Professor Snooks.
What Napa was to wine, Mendocino is aiming to be for cannabis. Two new tours offer visitors a peek into the legacy cultivation. The Northern California Cannabis Tour’s “Mendocino Experience” offers a four-hour guided tour that delves deep into the Redwood Valley with a visit to a fully operating sun-grown cannabis farm and heirloom cultivation nursery. Participants can meet the master grower and enjoy an afternoon of bud-tasting by the koi ponds while wandering among the crops.
From Mendocino’s interior to the sharp contrast of Anderson Valley, a wine region sporting top-shelf Pinot Noir, sparkling and dry Alsatian-style wines, Emerald Farm Tours offers a different experience. The “Mendocino County Cannabis Trail” starts with a luxury Mercedes Sprinter bus arriving deep in the redwoods for a hillside “weed walk” with a host grower, followed by a box lunch in the forest.
For more information, visit www.visitmendocino.com.
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