Mendocino County has long been synonymous with cannabis culture as a sidekick to its world-class wine scene. For decades, its remote valleys and redwood forests sheltered pioneering growers who helped define the Emerald Triangle as the global epicenter of craft cannabis.
Now, with legalization and the rise of cannabis tourism, the region is embracing its heritage in a more open, celebratory way. One of the most compelling expressions of this evolution is Anderson Valley Cannabis Weekends, held the third weekend of every month.
The next installment begins September 21st, and it promises to be both a gorgeous getaway and an educational and experiential exploration of Mendocino’s prized plant. Plan a weekend that’s both fulsome and padded with downtime in nature — entirely possible in this magical place where you might imagine Virginia Woolf sitting down with Henry David Thoreau, i.e., it’s both intellectually stimulating and somatically pacifying.
Friday Arrival: Flavors of the Valley
Visitors typically arrive on Friday afternoon and ease into the weekend with a taste of Anderson Valley’s agricultural bounty. My favorite discovery is Boonville Barn Collective. Co-owner Krissy Scommegna leads guests through the colorful farm operation, where chili peppers are grown, harvested, and transformed into vibrant powders that have become staples in Bay Area kitchens (and restaurants). It’s a reminder that cannabis and wine aren’t the only artisanal crops here — this is a valley where terroir and craft go hand in hand.
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