Tucked along Highway 101 just outside the town of Laytonville in Mendocino County sits Area 101, a mystical roadside attraction and community space that has long served as a spiritual and cultural hub for California’s cannabis movement.
A gateway to the Emerald Triangle, this landmark embodies the visionary heart of cannabis culture and celebrates the community and ceremonies that gave rise to one of the most iconic cannabis events in the world—The Emerald Cup.
Founded by Tim Blake, a legendary cultivator, activist, and event organizer, Area 101 was created as a sanctuary for intentional gatherings and as a ceremonial space dedicated to honoring sacred plant allies and the divine intelligence of cannabis.
The Birthplace of The Emerald Cup
Area 101 is where The Emerald Cup first came to life in 2003, born from the desire to create a safe space where legacy growers could gather and celebrate their sun-grown harvests without fear.
What started as a local celebration quickly evolved into the most respected and enduring cannabis competition in the world, spotlighting sungrown cannabis and uplifting the spirit of community, integrity, and transparency in cultivation .
This modest building nestled between the redwoods has become a site of pilgrimage for cannabis travelers and legacy farmers alike. Though it isn’t always open to the public, those lucky enough to find Tim Blake on-site may be welcomed into conversation, storytelling, or simply invited to view the vibrant murals, sculptures, and sacred art that adorn the property.
More Than a Venue—A Spiritual Movement
Area 101 is far more than a building—it is a spiritual ecosystem. Outside, visitors can glimpse deity sculptures, bright murals, and artwork designed to inspire reverence, introspection, and connection with the divine.
Inside, the space has historically hosted cannabis competitions, community meetings, film screenings, meditation circles, and moments of powerful transformation, and now displays a Cultural Landmark on The Cannabis Trail.
While its accessibility may ebb and flow (we’re on Mendo time around here), Area 101 continues to serve as a museum of sorts—informally housing the story of The Emerald Cup through relics, photographs, and memorabilia.
It stands as a living tribute to the legacy of sungrown cannabis and the Earth-conscious values that have shaped Northern California’s cannabis ethos.
A Landmark for the Cannabis Traveler
Travelers cruising along Highway 101 can pull over and view murals from the road. The building is adorned with bright celestial motifs, and the surrounding grounds invite quiet reflection and curiosity.
Tim Blake, who still oversees the property, often welcomes conversations about the cannabis movement, the role of consciousness in cultivation, and the ongoing struggle for justice and integrity in the industry.
On Instagram, glimpses of events and artwork continue to inspire those who cannot visit in person. And at every cannabis community gathering, the spirit of Area 101 reverberates across California as The Emerald Cup celebrates its mission to spotlight regenerative cultivation, grassroots advocacy, and world-class cannabis.
Cultural Landmark Statement of Purpose
May this Cultural Landmark serve to honor Area 101 as a historical community gathering place for cannabis legacy families.
May it honor the history of the 9.31 program and the public debates that happened here between the legacy cannabis community and law enforcement, debates that advanced cannabis legalization in California.
May this Cultural Landmark remind us of the roots of the Emerald Cup Cannabis Festival, and how that legacy festival, known as the ‘Academy Awards of Cannabis’, continues to serve as a vehicle of celebration, education, community, and culture.
May this Cultural Landmark serve to honor life’s work of pioneer Tim Blake, and remind us to always protect and celebrate the culture of cannabis, a culture rooted in freedom, love, and consciousness.
May it be so.
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Northern California is where the battle for legalized cannabis was waged. The Cannabis Trail honors the pioneers, places, and significant historical moments that paved the way for the legal cannabis access we have today.
Learn more: https://thecannabistrail.com
Check out all of The Cannabis Trail Series here at Beard Bros Pharms below.
Traveling The Cannabis Trail Series #1- A Cultural Journey
Traveling The Cannabis Trail Series #2- Plantshop Cannabis Lounge
Traveling The Cannabis Trail #3 – Huckleberry Hill Farms
Traveling The Cannabis Trail #4 – The Hemp Connection
Traveling The Cannabis Trail #5 – Sol de Mendocino
Traveling The Cannabis Trail #6 – Root’d in the 510
Traveling The Cannabis Trail #7 – Humboldt Cannabis Tours
Traveling The Cannabis Trail #8 – The Bohemian Chemist
Traveling The Cannabis Trail #9 – NUG Oakland and Oaksterdam University
Traveling the Cannabis Trail #10 – Flore Dispensary
Traveling the Cannabis Trail #11 – Bigfoot Cannabis In Willow Creek, Northern Humboldt County
Traveling The Cannabis Trail #12 – Riverside Wellness Guerneville
Traveling The Cannabis Trail #13 – Harborside (Oakland)
Traveling The Cannabis Trail #14 – Berkeley Patients Group, Berkeley
