Culture
Cannabis Company Buys California Town to Build Weed-Friendly Outpost
In a move that echoes the Gold Rush, a weed grower buys California town with the goals of sustainability and revitalization.
The recent financial headline is causing a stir: Cannabis grower buys California Town. The weed company American Green’s latest project is to breathe new life into a railroad town from the Gold Rush. Their ultimate goal is to create a tourist destination as well as facilities to cultivate weed and make cannabis products.
Nipton, California
According to sources, the cannabis company American Green has purchased the California town of Nipton for five million dollars. The town of Nipton currently consists of 120 acres of land, a hotel, a school building, a general store, and mineral baths. There are residents, but not very many.
Nipton was founded in 1905, after the creation of the San Pedro, Los Angeles & Salt Lake Railroad. It was originally called Nippeno Camp and became a cattle-loading station and a supply center for the nearby mines.
In the 1980s, Gerald Freeman bought the town for $200,000. He spent about twenty-five years trying to make the town habitable. During the last decade, he began to install solar panels throughout the town.
In 2016, the town became available for purchase. Currently, the population is a grand total of twenty.
From Gold Rush to Green Rush
According to American Green’s project manager Stephen Shearin, the goal of the purchase is to revitalize the former gold-mining town. The company plans to power Nipton with renewable energy, as well as establish the town as a cannabis tourism destination.
American Green already planned out a few new facilities for the town. Among the ideas are a plant to manufacture CBD-infused water, as well as a facility for the making of cannabis edibles. There will also be retail stores and even an artist-in-residence program.
During an interview, Shearin said that American Green hopes to inspire other cannabis entrepreneurs to follow in their footsteps. More to the point, the company hopes to inspire people to build communities on sustainability and cannabis.
Final Hit: Cannabis grower buys California town
American Green’s goals for Nipton is admirable. It’s also fascinating to think about in context. Nipton was formerly a gold-mining town and a trading post shortly after the California Gold Rush died down.
Shearin even references the Gold Rush during his interview. “The Gold Rush built this city,” he says. “The Green Rush can keep it moving the way people envisioned it years ago.”
The fact that we have the headline “cannabis grower buys California town” is, even more, confirmation that the Green Rush is in full swing. With sweeping legalization and acceptance, will we see more towns being built up and revitalized with cannabis? Time will tell. It’s a crazy ride, and we’re totally on board.
