Northern Comfort

Mendocino County is located on the north west coast of California, known for its rugged coastline, wineries, and redwood forests. The county is home to inland towns such as Willits (where Higher Origins was created!) and Ukiah, as well as coastal towns like Fort Bragg and the popular tourist village Mendocino. As one of the three counties in the fabled "Emerald Triangle", the county has a long history of cannabis cultivation, dating back to the 1960s when it became a hub for the counterculture movement. During this time, many young people moved to the area to grow and sell cannabis, drawn by the region's favorable climate and abundant natural resources. Medical legalization, the decline of the logging industry, and recreational legalization completely changed the landscape of the Mendocino county cannabis industry. Today, the county is now one of the largest centers of cultivation in the state, and the county with the highest percentage of small farms. Unfortunately, poor management of the licensing and permitting process by county officials has created an obstacle for easy expansion of legal cannabis businesses in the county.