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.
Before you check in to your hotel, a must-stop is The Disco Ranch, down-to-earth wine expert Wendy Lamer’s homage to well-made vino. Have a few tapas with a glass of bubbly and pick her brain on what you should be tasting while you’re in the AV (what I call the Anderson Valley) .
Just down the road, lodging at Stoney Bottom offers an expansive home base whose deep quiet allows you you turn off and tune in — to birdsong and to the six-acre wonderland planted by botanist Walt Valen, the former Director of San Francisco’s Botanical Garden at Strybing Arboretum in Golden Gate Park. There are rare species of plants, a bamboo grove, a vegetable garden, all offering infinite opportunities for immersive relaxation. Owners Dominic Philips and and James Gregory are stewarding a landscape that’s the perfect staging ground for the weekend. (Look for a full property review in this column soon.)
Even with the closure of The (beloved) Bewildered Pig, the AV has more good food in a five-mile span than many cities 10 times its size. But until recently, there has never been a sushi option. That all changed with the arrival of SŌBŌ Sushi & Sake Bar, where Christina Jones has built a culinary hub in Boonville. The menu brings together pristine seafood, seasonal produce, and an extensive sake list, underscoring the region’s commitment to global culinary appeal.
Saturday Adventures: Dancing in the Redwoods
While cannabis anchors the weekend, my itinerary also includes a distinctly Mendocino mix of art and nature. We were lucky to time our visit with the Mendocino Dance Project’s “Soaring Through the Redwoods” workshop at The Brambles in Philo. Even the newbiest among us donned harnesses and quite literally danced in the redwood trees, swinging and moving through the forest canopy under the guidance of artistic director Kara Starkweather. It’s part performance art, part meditative window, and a unique way to experience the redwoods. While this program doesn’t always line up with Cannabis Weekends, the company is expanding into its outdoor performances and workshops as Fall comes on. Dance the Redwoods: Growing Into New Spaces, is a multi-day series blending dance, music, and nature in the redwood groves. Community performances take place Saturday, September 20, Sunday, September 21, and Sunday, September 28 at 2 p.m., each moving throughout the property at The Brambles in an ADA-accessible format. A centerpiece Gala Performance and Dinner on Saturday, September 27 (4–8 p.m.) includes appetizers, dinner, local beer and wine, a silent auction, and live music. The Mendocino Dance Project frames these events as explorations of the human relationship to nature, enriching the county’s cultural landscape through performance and education.
Dinner on Saturday night is outdoors at Wickson Restaurant, where Chef Claudia Almeida highlights local ingredients in wood-fired Pan-European dishes that are as much a reflection of place as the valley’s wines and cannabis.
Sunday: Cannabis Heritage on Display
The heart of Cannabis Weekends comes on Sunday morning with a tour of Sugar Hill Farms, a legacy property founded by Jim Roberts’ mother, Rosemary, whose nickname was “” Long before legalization, Sugar Hill was part of the underground economy that sustained Mendocino’s rural communities. Today, it’s a fully transparent, licensed farm producing heritage and landrace cannabis for The Bohemian Chemist, a boutique brand that has become a symbol of Mendocino terroir. Walking among the plants, Roberts and his partner, Jim Adkinson, narrate the story of a plant that is both agricultural commodity and cultural icon. The are folks who are doing agriculture right, participating in and supporting the grower community and, most importantly, conserving rare cultivars with intention and care.
Following the farm tour, the weekend culminates in a Craft Cannabis Marketplace, where small growers showcase their flower, edibles, tinctures, and topicals. It’s a rare chance to meet the people behind the brands, hear their growing philosophies, and purchase directly from the source. For those more curious than committed, the marketplace offers an easy entry point into cannabis culture, with opportunities to ask questions and learn.
The Madrones also hosts a Consumption Lounge experience on Saturday night, featuring live music, film screenings, and a convivial space for guests to sample products. This is not your stereotypical cannabis den; it’s an elegant lounge that mirrors the wine-tasting culture, complete with educated hosts and curated pairings.
A Holistic Approach to Cannabis Tourism
What sets Anderson Valley Cannabis Weekends apart is its holistic approach. The experience is woven together with destination dining, design forward lodging, sustainable agriculture, and moving your body in nature, all while learning the story of a plant that has long been intertwined with Mendocino’s identity.
For expert cannabis lovers, the weekends offer direct access to heritage genetics and small-batch craft products not easily found elsewhere. For the canna-curious, this roadmap provides a safe, welcoming environment to learn, taste, and engage without pressure. And for everyone, it’s a chance to experience Mendocino as it really is: a place where creativity, independence, and community fourish. For more information, go to the Visit Mendocino website.