Emerald Triangle | |
|---|---|
Region of California | |
 Map of the Emerald Triangle | |
| Coordinates: 40°00′N 123°30′W / 40.0°N 123.5°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| Counties | Mendocino County, Humboldt County, Trinity County |
| Largest city | Eureka |
| Area | |
| • Land | 10,253.58 sq mi (26,556.7 km2) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 236,250 |
| • Estimate (2019)[2] | 234,592 |
| • Density | 23/sq mi (9/km2) |
The Emerald Triangle is a region in Northern California that derives its name from being the largest cannabis-producing region in the United States. The region includes three counties in an upside-down triangular configuration:
- Humboldt County, on the coast
- Trinity County, inland
- Mendocino County, to the south
Growers have been cultivating Cannabis plants in this region since the 1960s, during San Francisco's Summer of Love. Growing cannabis in the Emerald Triangle is considered a way of life, and the locals believe that everyone living in this region is either directly or indirectly reliant on the cannabis industry.[3] The industry exploded in the region with the passage of California Proposition 215 (1996), which legalized the use of cannabis for medicinal purposes in California.[4] The passage of Proposition 64 in 2016 legalized the general sale and distribution of cannabis.
- ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2016 Estimates". Retrieved April 27, 2017.
- ^ "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved December 3, 2019.
- ^ Ferran, Lee (August 1, 2010). "Legal Pot: Death of the Emerald Triangle?". ABC News.
- ^ Regan, Trish (January 22, 2009). "Pot growers thrive in Northern California". CNBC. Archived from the original on February 3, 2013.