The Emerald Triangle: Ocean Grown Cannabis

The great state of California contains an embarrassment of natural riches. Nature makes its magnificent mark everywhere, from Pacific surf crashing against the majestic cliffs of Big Sur all the way up to the huge shadows cast by Sequoia trees in Kings Canyon and beyond. 

Aficionados of great wine flock to the Napa Valley region for a taste of what makes that specific region so world-renowned. Breeders, growers, and consumers of cannabis, on the other hand, flock to a special area in Northern California to bask in greatness. The Emerald Triangle, as it’s known, is a place rooted in countercultural tradition, as well as a terrain and climate responsible for some of the highest quality cannabis in the entire world.

Where Is the Emerald Triangle Located?

Prospective visitors can reach the Emerald Triangle’s rugged, forested terrain by driving about 160 miles north of San Francisco along Highway 101. The first county of Mendocino gives way to Humboldt County and finally Trinity County. These three regions are the ‘triangle’, while the ‘emerald’ part of the name evokes the green vibrancy of the cannabis plant, similar to the glow of an emerald gem. Humboldt and Mendocino counties are adjacent to the Pacific Ocean, while all three counties reside in the vast, remote expanse of the northernmost region of California. 

What is the History of the Emerald Triangle?

Numerous Native American tribes established themselves in the Emerald Triangle region long before European settlers arrived, and many still do. Hunting, gathering, and a reliance on healthy salmon populations provided the basis for their economies, but also their way of life, with ceremonial and spiritual connections to the region abounding. 

Manifest Destiny Destroyed Native Communities

The arrival of European settlers in the area in the mid-1800s was tied to the abundance of regional resources, specifically gold. Many of the towns found in the Emerald Triangle developed from mining communities during the Gold Rush. European settlers exiled, killed, and removed Indigenous sovereign nations from many of their homes and put them on reservations as a result of this ‘manifest’ destiny that drove European expansion in the American West. Almost 80% of native peoples in the area died from violence, disease, and starvation by 1870. 

The Remote Isolation of the Emerald Triangle

Numerous national forests span the entire state of California—parts of four different ones are in the Emerald Triangle. Logging, fishing, and farming communities have historically made up the roots of European settlers in the region, after the gold rush. Humboldt County is home to a huge logging industry. It’s around this time that the isolation of the remote, wildness of the region drew homesteaders to set up shop far away from civilization—eventually lending itself nicely to the guerrilla nature of illegal outdoor cannabis growing several decades later.

The Countercultural Movement in the Emerald Triangle Spawned A New Era of Cannabis Cultivation 

The turbulent political and social upheaval during the mid-1960s and early 1970s created a response from the youth culture, minorities, women, and anti-war protestors that developed into a palpable countercultural movement. Societal norms went out the window along with outdated, preconceived notions of how one should live their life. 

The remote locale of the Emerald Triangle appealed to many countercultural folks looking to check out of the hustle, bustle, and phoniness of conventional society. Another thing the counterculture spawned in the U.S. and eventually the world is advanced knowledge of cannabis cultivation. 

Cannabis Genetics, Quality, & Techniques Improved

The Emerald Triangle provides ideal climates with a long growing season that promotes high-quality outdoor cannabis harvests—and most importantly, far away from prying eyes. Growers in the region developed high-potency strains and innovative growing techniques during this time, eventually evolving into the genetic marvels that we all love to enjoy these days. 

The Failed ‘War On Drugs’

The secret was eventually out on the majestic lure of the region as a whole in the 1980s. Helicopter raids and tactical units fit for battle became common sights in the Emerald Triangle during Reagan’s failed ‘War on Drugs’ policies while in office during the 80s. 

Authorities handed many guerrilla growers severe jail sentences for growing a plant, eventually driving the culture even further underground and spawning indoor growing techniques away from the prying eyes of the federal government. The Emerald Triangle region still maintained its dominance as a primary driver of the local economy despite the change in strategy. 

Proposition 64 & Recreational Weed In The Emerald Triangle

Some growers, long plagued by fear and life on the run, finally breathed a sigh of relief in the mid-1990s. Proposition 64 made California the second legal medical marijuana program behind New Mexico. While a portion of formerly illegal growers became legit within the confines of California’s medical marijuana program, the majority simply could not afford to pay the regulatory costs and fees required to navigate the bureaucratic nightmare of going legit. 

Illegal Grow Operations in the Emerald Triangle Greatly Affect Resources

Illegal grows—and subsequent black helicopters—in the Emerald Triangle persist to this day in the numerous leafy forests of the area, even with recreational marijuana being legalized in 2016. These rogue operations put local resources at high risk due to several factors.

• Many current guerilla growers in the Emerald Triangle don’t use artisanal wells and instead divert streams for their water sources—eroding and destroying natural habitats and watersheds full of native species.
• Diminished stream levels and habitat destruction threaten local salmon species like Coho, which are unable to properly spawn and reproduce.
• Pesticide, fuel, and fertilizer runoff pollute local water sources, which also affects the soil and natural life in the region. 

Why Is Each Microclimate in the Emerald Triangle So Conducive to Cannabis Cultivation

The Emerald Triangle region is very diverse, which we will cover below. However, the area also boasts many similarities that are conducive to cannabis cultivation. The outdoor flowering season features very low humidity levels from late August to October. This phenomenon drastically reduces mold and mildew—two of the main culprits that destroy outdoor cannabis. Easterly winds known as the Diablo winds also provide warm air to combat outdoor chills during the same time, limiting humidity and mold issues.

Each Microclimate has its own appeal when it comes to cannabis cultivation, resulting in high-quality harvests that produce unique results tied to a specific region. 

Why Is Humboldt County Such A Great Place to Grow Weed?

Humboldt County has become the gold standard of places to grow weed in the world. Giant redwood trees, steep hillsides, and breathtaking river valleys all combine with about 110 miles of pure Pacific ocean coastal bliss. This ocean-adjacent county features a Mediterranean climate with wet, mild winters that give way to dry, cool, and warm summer seasons. It’s also a combination of hardwood and coniferous forests with wide open ranges.

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Humboldt is Perfect for Optimizing Flowering & Drying of Cannabis

Drier summers come around at the perfect time for cannabis cultivators, optimizing the flowering phase of growth as well as post-harvest drying conditions. These two critical stages determine the potency, terpene profile, density, and overall quality of sungrown cannabis. Another factor that growers in the Emerald Triangle take advantage of is mold and bud rot reduction due to less humidity. 

The Pacific Ocean Keeps Things Cool, Optimizes Terps and Cannabinoids

The Pacific Ocean brings with it dense early morning fog and coastal winds, creating cooler coastal temperatures with less extreme heat along the coast. These factors help greatly reduce heat stress that can destroy cannabis plants, no matter how good a grower is. Cooler nights also help optimize terpene and cannabinoid content, while also delivering a complex flavor profile—a signature trait of high-quality outdoor cannabis. 

Humboldt also has more surface and spring water available to it than the other two. This phenomenon is due to its receiving a higher rate of annual precipitation. 

Valley Slopes & Forest Canopies

Valleys further inland get hotter than the coastal areas with slightly more variation in weather changes, depending on elevation. The loamy soil quality gives way to more rocky and gravelly soil in some places, creating variations in which some strains may grow better. The vast forests and steep slopes found in Humboldt also help reduce heat stress on cannabis plants with their giant canopies, while also blocking any potentially destructive high wind gusts. 

Why Is Mendocino County Such A Great Place to Grow Weed?

Foothills, ridges, and mountains full of massive forests give way to another large Pacific Coastline in Mendocino County, California. This county is very similar to the layout of Humboldt, featuring fluctuating elevations, coastal fog, and inland valleys. 

The inland valleys of Mendocino can get very hot during the summer; however, how hot it gets depends on altitude and slope, which can help significantly negate the potentially dangerous and stress-inducing heat on cannabis grows. The soil quality is also very loamy and lends itself to good drainage, another important factor of proper cannabis cultivation. 

READ: The Impact of Cannabis Legalization on Growers in the Emerald Triangle

Climate & Location Affect Outdoor Cannabis Quality

Specific characteristics of cannabis grown in this region are very pronounced due to the numerous microclimates found in Mendocino. The long, dry summers here also produce high-quality cannabis buds during the flowering and harvest seasons of late summer and early fall. 

The same goes for the cooler nights, which also optimize the many cannabinoids and compounds found in weed grown in the area. Winters are typically wet, which is good because reservoirs and water sources get replenished just in time for the growing season in mid-spring. 

• Anderson Valley is characterized by a Mediterranean climate with mountains and steep hills, featuring ridges and terraces. Elevation reaches upwards of 2,500 ft here. The western parts receive a lot of cool ocean fog. Warm days and cool nights slowly mature cannabinoids and terpenes. 
• Ukiah Valley, with its long rolling hills, is a little further away from the coast, leading to hotter temperatures in the summer. The elevation here isn’t as steep as in other regions and features large swaths of forest. Increased sun exposure can easily stress some strains, while others take advantage of the extra exposure to grow longer. 
• Covelo Valley is a bowl-shaped valley surrounded by mountain chains that block a lot of the ocean’s influence on cannabis cultivation. This valley features a somewhat shorter growing season, along with a large concentration of loamy soil 
• Potter Valley is another bowl-shaped valley that still includes some significant elevation and slopes, which in turn add to the flavor and aroma complexity of cannabis grown there. The surrounding mountains typically trap cool air.

Why Is Trinity County Such A Great Place to Grow Weed?

The Trinity County section of the Emerald Triangle is also another ideal place to grow weed, though much more mountainous than the others—some like Thompson’s Peaks exceed 9,000 ft! Since there are granite mountains, that means there are also fir and pine forested valleys and ridges, even some plateaus within the 3,200 square miles that Trinity County covers. 

This region sees big temperature drop-offs, featuring summer days in the valleys that can supposedly reach over 100°F, while nights can get as low as the low 40°s in some areas. Warm days and cooler nights enhance aroma, terpenes, and quality, while also reducing stress on the plants. Cold snaps and heat waves are common and unpredictable in this region, along with wildfire threats. 

Dry Summers, Frosty Winters

The diverse microclimates of Trinity affect how growers go about cultivating outdoor cannabis. The off-season often brings snow, frost, and rain, so cultivation must be planned to harvest before the dampness and frost arrive in the fall. Dry summers help optimize flower development without too much of a risk of mold or bud rot. Veteran growers in all 3 areas of the Emerald Triangles also utilize greenhouses to aid in controlling climate conditions. 

The very remote nature of Trinity provides more opportunities for guerrilla growers to remain off-the-grid with their grows underneath immense forest canopies that shield cannabis plants from sun and wind stress.

The Emerald Triangle Has All of The X Factors Needed for Optimal Cannabis Cultivation

Guerilla growers, legit industry growers, and home growers all take advantage of what the Emerald Triangle region has to offer for cultivation. Outdoor growers optimize their crops based on elevation, microclimate, and availability of resources.

Many of these factors have made the area famous as the best place to grow weed. However, the remote location and clandestine nature of the massive leafy forests that surround it are perhaps why the region is, in fact, most famous. The permissive culture and ‘back-to-the-land’ aesthetic created a ‘test lab’ that inspired many growers to improve their genetics and techniques year after year—leading to legendary strains like OG Kush, Trainwreck, Mendo Purps, and many others. 

Breeders and growers in the Triangle now take the techniques and hardy genetics grown and phenohunted outdoors in the Triangle and perfect them indoors with optimal conditions for the highest-quality harvests. These breeders, as well as breeders all around the world, would not find the same success without the very trajectory of history and X factors that make the Emerald Triangle a world-class spot to grow weed.