A Californian company buys out an entire village to make it a cannabis-friendly destination

American Green Inc., a manufacturer of cannabis-based products, has taken another step toward attracting new customers and capitalizing on the legalization of cannabis in California: buying an entire village.

The company is in fact in the process of acquiring Nipton—a town of 25 residents located 16 kilometers from the Nevada border—for an estimated $5 million, and plans to invest $2.5 million over the next 18 months to create a tourist destination cannabis-friendly. The purchase includes 50 hectares of land with a supermarket, a hotel, a school, and residential buildings.

American Green, based in Arizona, plans to retain its existing buildings and construct new ones, all powered by renewable energy.

«We thought that showing there was a viable way to build a cannabis-focused city and make it energy-independent might be a way to get people to ask themselves, «Why can’t we do that here?»» he explains.

The former mining town was purchased in 1985 by its future ex-owner, who spent 30 years restoring it. Over the years, he even installed a solar farm that provides the vast majority of the town’s energy needs. Until now, the town has relied on tourism—attracting desert enthusiasts and gold rush seekers—and on the sale of California Lottery tickets.

American Green plans to build a plant producing infused water at the CBD, a production site for’edibles (cannabis-infused food), small shops, and an artist residency.

«We are delighted to be part of this Green Rush » said David Gwyther, CEO of American Green, in the official press release. «The cannabis revolution currently taking place in the United States has the power to completely revitalize small towns, just as the gold rush did in the 19th century.».

Cannabis tourism has been fairly limited in California so far. The actual implementation of the Legalization as of January 1, 2018 It will certainly open a few doors!