Humboldt is a beautiful, wild place. When driving north from San Francisco for about 5 hours, you’ll know you’ve reached Humboldt when you’re passing through an enchanting redwood forest. The population is sparse, and locals are very independent and mostly live outside of the grid. It has always been this way.

The Emerald Triangle

Humboldt is a part of the Emerald Triangle, a region made up of Humboldt, Mendocino, and Trinity counties. The Emerald Triangle is the largest cannabis-producing region in the United States and often call the “mecca” of cannabis cultivation. During the late 60s, young hippies traveled from Haight-Ashbury to Humboldt. They believed in a “Back-to-the-Land” movement, focused on people moving from cities back to nature to grow their own food and construct their own homes. This resulted in a resilient group that values rugged hard work and cares greatly about the symbiotic relationships of their impact on their environment. When they arrived in Humboldt, they found the stunning place that is Humboldt. They smoked pot and grew Mexican weed beside their vegetables.

Clash of Clans

While cannabis grew in Northern California, the U.S. government was fighting a war on marijuana in Mexico — where most of America’s supply came from up until the mid-1980s. As supply from Mexico was gradually limited over the decades, many growers in Humboldt saw opportunity in selling to their friends back in San Francisco and other cities, which launched the start of the marijuana market in the U.S. As the local the marijuana industry began to take off, the local logging industry was already in decline.

Many of the ranchers and loggers also shifted into the cannabis industry in Humboldt so they could stay in this area that they loved. In fact, many ethnic and socio-economic groups realized the potential of moving to a rural and isolated area where they could produce a highly valued crop with little influence from the outside. To this day, the Emerald Triangle is aligned along very diverse ethnic and culturally defined lines, from hippies, native Americans, eastern Europeans, Hmongs and more.

Outlaw Farmers

When the marijuana growing operations abroad were cut off, the federal government began to focus its attention on the homegrown region of Humboldt through the late 1980s and 1990s as part of the War on Drugs. These seasoned farmers and coastal cowboys now became outlaws. As the federal government focused on eradicating growing operations, these outlaw farmers were forced to innovate in ways well ahead of their time.

Many of the lasting growing facilities are completely off-grid and fully self-sustainable. They pioneered small-scale water reclamation techniques and creative energy sourcing for their resource-intensive crop. Across the counties, extremely advanced hydroponic growing operations can be found in sheds and barns that are hardly noticeable below the canopy of redwood trees from spying helicopters.

Business was transacted with cash and handshakes. Partnerships were based on hard-earned trust, and ethnic lines were further solidified. Transient labor also noticed the potential for work. Unspoken knowledge of work as a “bud-trimmer” could net a full years salary in just a few months, all cash under the table. The risk was felony charges and a notoriously rough lifestyle.

The crop evolved as well. Self-taught botanists and mad-biologists began selectively breeding cannabis. Highly desirable strains of Cannabis were smuggled from the Himalayan mountain regions. High THC content meant more value per pound, and after all Humboldt cannabis was competing with other illicit drugs for hideaway space.

These breeders, with their hippie roots, were also interested in the efficacy of the plant. Cannabis strains were grown for their complex terpene profiles and myriad of effects on the “high” experience. CBD was effectively bred out of many of the strains, and THC concentrations can be as much as 5 or 6 times that of their grandfather’s weed.

The stories of these outlaw farmers are now becoming legends. Stories of narrow escapes in prop-planes from federal agents, then to stow away to foreign countries, leaving family and friends behind. Stories of cash buried in yards for so long it was forgotten and rotted. Many of the families are now in a 3rd generation of growers, and they face entirely new challenges

Grown in Humboldt

Humboldt residents are now planning for the potential federal legalization of cannabis. Before medical marijuana was legalized, all Humboldt weed was transacted in the black market, and it made good money. Some people are looking forward to legalizing cannabis, others not so much. Outside investment money has begun flooding in with the legalization of adult recreational use in California. Often that money is foreign, and based on dotcom bubble-like valuations of shell companies.

The local culture is still rooted in trust. Outsiders are easy to spot, and their intentions are obvious. Yet, many groups are taking the opportunity to cash out.

Cannadips is no stranger to Humboldt. Cannadips was established in Humboldt in 2016 to give people a radical alternative to traditional consumption methods. Our roots go back even further. Our founders started on these farms, labored through sticky summers, and yes, have dodged a few close calls with the law. We are tied to this community and share its history. Cannadips will always be rooted in Humboldt.

Cannadips is proud of its original cannabis pouches for adult use in California. We are also eager to share our broad spectrum hemp pouches which ship nationwide. All Cannadips CBD products are THC-free and work with any lifestyle, whether you’re looking for alternative health products or an alternative to tobacco dips, or just want to enjoy an amazing CBD experience. Cannadips CBD has three flavors: American Spice, Natural Mint, and Tangy Citrus.