For our first stop along The Cannnabis Trail we visit the Plantshop Cannabis Lounge in Ukiah along Highway 101 in Mendocino County, to learn more about the pioneers who established this area.
CULTURAL CANNABIS LANDMARK– BACK TO THE LAND & INTENTIONAL COMMUNITIES
Destination: Plantshop Cannabis Lounge – Ukiah, CA Mendocino County
Celebrates: The Back-to-the-Land Movement and Intentional Communities
Storytelling: Episode #2 – Promise of Paradise Series – Greenfield Ranch
Following the cannabis-loving Hippie era of the 1960’s came the lesser-known Back-to-the-Land movement era of the 1970’s. Back-to-the-Landers, as they are often referred to, sought out alternative regenerative lifestyles anchored in self-reliance, intention, and hyper-local community.
Inspired by native indigenous cultures that live in close alignment with nature, Back-to-the-Landers migrated north to the rural coastal mountains of California and established communities that valued collective intention and cooperation. They brought their cannabis seeds and medicinal herbs with them.
Tending the garden was part of the lifestyle. Back-to-the-Landers grow much of their own food and medicine, cannabis included. A self-sufficient and resilient mindset are still strong cultural signatures of the intentional communities that call this region home. To this day, cannabis continues to be home grown in gardens off the grid alongside vegetables and other medicinal plants. The Back-to-the-Land movement gave rise to The Emerald Triangle and the modern-day craft cannabis market known for terpene rich, top-shelf cannabis.
In honor of The-Back-to-the-Land movement and Intentional Communities, visitors are invited to spend time at Plantshop Cannabis Lounge in Ukiah, CA – a Cultural Cannabis Landmark. Upon arrival, visitors are welcomed by the Landmark plaque on display at the front entrance. Browse the quaint cannabis boutique and discover the local award-winning cannabis farms of Mendocino County. Make plenty of time to relax in this one-of-a-kind outdoor cannabis lounge that looks out upon the rolling hills of Greenfield Ranch, an Intentional Community still in operation today.
Like many Intentional Communities in the Emerald Triangle region, Greenfield Ranch was born out of the Back-to-the-Land movement of the 1970’s. Community members of Greenfield Ranch often visit Plantshop Cannabis Lounge to give talks, tell stories, or engage in discussion. Members of Greenfield love to share about their culture and way of life, and what makes the Back-to-the-Land movement such a special moment in time.
Whether in the lounge or pre-arrival, visitors are invited to get lost in a nostalgic podcast episode that honors the Intentional Community of Greenfield Ranch and the Back-to-the-Land heritage of the region.
Cultural Landmark Statement of Purpose
May this Cannabis Trail Cultural Landmark serve to honor
the history of the Back-to-the-Land movement
and the Intentional Communities of northern California.
May it remind us that the organic food movement
and sustainable solar energy were ideas grown
from these regenerative-minded communities
and their Back-to-the-Land culture.
May this Cultural Landmark always remind us to live with intention
and serve as a steward of balance for our local community.
May it be so.
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. The Cannabis Trail is an immersive travel adventure for cannabis enthusiasts, history buffs, and culture seekers seeking an extraordinary California experience. – https://thecannabistrail.org/
BRIAN APPLEGARTH is a travel writer and innovator with a passion for cannabis travel experiences and cultural heritage preservation.
He has written for San Francisco Travel, Visit Oakland, Local Getaways, Skunk Magazine, Green State, Pineapple Express, Visit Greater Palm Springs, Visit Mendocino County and others. Brian was the sole advisor on the first ever national research on the cannabis-motivated travel audience in the United States.
He has been quoted in Forbes, The Washington Post, Smart Meetings, Travel Weekly and elsewhere, and his award-winning work has been featured on NPR, CBS, NBC, and The New York Times.
Brian is the founder of the Cannabis Travel Association International and the co-founder and co-creator of the CA State Fair Cannabis Awards & Exhibit. He leads the Cannabis & Hemp Task Force for the California Travel Association and Destinations International and is a certified cannabis sommelier Ganjier and a certified cannabis therapy consultant.
He recently published The Ganja Traveler’s Guide to the Emerald Triangle, a first-of-its-kind travel guide to California’s legacy craft cannabis region. Follow Brian on Instagram @thecannabistrail and @theganjatraveler or learn more at www.brianapplegarth.com.
