A cannabis company has bought the town of Nipton, California (population 20) for some $5 million, and plans on spending an additional $2.5 million to create a marijuana tourist destination on 120 acres that sits about 3 hours (by car) from Los Angeles and 1 hour from Las Vegas.
The Arizona-based company – American Green – wants to bring the “green rush” to Nipton. “The cannabis revolution that’s going on here in the U.S. has the power to completely revitalize communities in the same way gold did during the 19th century,” AG President David Gwyther said in a statement.
“This acquisition allows us to channel the myriad interests in cannabis production and consumption for an immediate positive impact to this community’s members and to cannabis consumers across the country.”
Plans for the town include it being completely powered by a solar farm, a new facility to manufacture water infused with CBD, a production site for edible marijuana products, retail stores, and artist-in-residence programs.
A town situated where Nipton is gets a lot of people driving by. Add that to the amount of press and word-of-mouth American Green’s plan is bound to generate, and they will likely have no problem attracting tourists – despite the fact that the temperature exceeds 100 degrees Fahrenheit for much of the summer.
The renovation of the town is supposed to happen over the next 18 months, putting a likely opening sometime in early 2019.
It’s good to see a private company taking on a project of this size. The government is sure to be involved in every way they know how, but hopefully AG will be relatively free to develop their property the way they see fit. It will be a great way to show how large-scale marijuana operations can perform, ones that combine manufacturing and retail and tourism while bringing a ton of economic activity to a previously destitute area.
A marijuana-friendly place that responds to the consumer-led pressures of the free market as opposed to the dictates of a regulatory agency is something that could catch on across the U.S. This is why we are likely to see a politician-led push back against this kind of activity in the coming years.
And even better, something like this could just be the beginning. Imagine marijuana-friendly theme parks, where the theme is marijuana. Like Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory – without the chocolate and child abductions.
These and many more reasons are why I am hoping American Green’s new venture is a success.
