How to Talk about Cannabis Appellations
Talking about cannabis appellations can be intimidating. You don’t have to be an expert to think about terroir, experience how cannabis expresses the character of a place, and discover your own preferences.
Talking about cannabis appellations can be intimidating. You don’t have to be an expert to think about terroir, experience how cannabis expresses the character of a place, and discover your own preferences.
Appellations exist most famously for wine (“Bordeaux, anyone?”) but also for products such Roquefort cheese, Parma Ham, and more. They indicate a place of origin with unique factors that produce distinctive agricultural products.
The California Department of Food and Agriculture’s CalCannabis Appellations Project (“CAP”) is working on a program that will determine how cannabis appellations are defined and protected.
Here’s how to Talk about Cannabis Appellations:
1. Three areas come into play: Standards, Varietals and Practices.
2. Standards refer to the soil, light, water, and air that provide the conditions for cannabis cultivation. That’s ‘terroir,’ a French term that refers not only to soil but the overall native environment. For example, should only native soil qualify for an appellation product? To what extent do you think the soil can be optimized/altered with supplemental products and still express a region’s character? Or look at light. Is sungrown cannabis the only way to express the character of a place? Now consider water. Worldwide, clean water is an increasingly rare and valuable resource. How does water use impact your choice of cannabis?
3. Varietals is the term used in wine. In Cannabis, it’s often referred to as strains. Connoisseurs of cannabis recognize that the same strain grown with similar practices in different environments will look, taste and feel different. What strains most authentically express a region? Humboldt County is famed for strains such as Ice Cream Cake that won awards at the 2019 Emerald Cup and many others. As farmers grow and experiment, what strains should be included in appellations, and how far should farmers go with experimenting with new and hybrid strains?
4. Practices. That’s the last, but IMHO, not the least of the areas to look at. Practices refer to the human touch from planting to curing. Have you ever consumed cannabis flower that was too dry and not flavorful enough? You know, “styrofoam cannabis?” That can come from cannabis being cut too early, flush-dried, and rushed to market—the fast-food of the industry. Something to consider when you think about Appellation Cannabis is: what does it tell you about how the original plant was handled? How does that affect the taste of your cannabis product?
5. Develop your own taste. This one comes with a disclaimer: I’m a French person living in Humboldt for 20 years, I reported on the French and California wine industry for years, and I enjoy both wine and cannabis. The takeaway? Talk to others with a variety of opinions, enlarge your perspective and most importantly: explore what your personal taste is.
The case for Humboldt Cannabis Appellations
It’s changing before our eyes. Cannabis in California. Scared? Greedy (you know who you are)? Excited? A guide in this new adventure: Making the case for Humboldt Cannabis Appellations.
It’s changing before our eyes. From illegal to regulated, cannabis in California is evolving so fast that we don’t know what to feel. Scared. Greedy (you know who you are). Also excited. Going into the big unknown.
A possible guide in this adventure? Cannabis Appellations. I’m making the case for Humboldt Cannabis Appellations. Because we have a tradition, micro climates and unique packaging potential that would set Humboldt Cannabis apart. We may not agree, but let’s start talking.
An Appellation is a legally defined and protected geographical indication used to identify where an agricultural product comes from and how it’s produced.
In 2018, the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) established the CalCannabis Appellations Project to expand on county of origin regulations and create a statewide Appellations system. It is is required to establish the process for cannabis Appellations by January 1, 2021. THE CDFA has already established in its county-of-origin regulations that to be eligible for the designation, 100 percent of the cannabis shall be produced within the designated county, as defined by finite political boundaries.
Why Humboldt Cannabis Appellations?
Humboldt County has a rich and long history of small-scale farms cultivating cannabis. A Humboldt Cannabis (HC) Appellation will benefit Humboldt County cannabis businesses in three main ways: Protection, Innovation and Sustainability.
Protection.
HC Appellation could provide legal protection by:
preventing the use of ‘Humboldt’ branding for cannabis not 100% grown in Humboldt
promoting artisanal small-scale cultivation that focuses on sustainability, original seeds, etc.
reducing the risk of turning cannabis into a commodity that’s driven by price only
2. Innovation.
For Humboldt County cultivators already passionate about growing the best cannabis, an HC Appellation system will support their research and development in:
defining bottom-up regulation standards
exploring with hybrid strains
enacting best practices for sustainable cultivation that have the potential to become models for other crops around the world
3. Sustainability.
Tourism is a a key driver of economic success in Humboldt County. An HC Appellation will:
attract more visitors who want to discover genuine cannabis cultivation and process in the place of origin
provide long-term employment across the cannabis supply chain from growers to manufacturers, distributors, retailers and consumption spaces
enable Humboldt County residents to stay, thrive, and give their community a bright future.
Look at Alsace as well as Champagne for Cannabis Appellations?
Tradition: Humboldt County’s experiment with strains and hybrids
The large number of cannabis strains in Humboldt County and the potential for new ones is worth comparing to the varietals requirements in Alsace as well as Champagne.
The number and variety of strains is deeply connected with terroir: Humboldt County growers have spent decades researching cannabis strains and genetics to find those best suited to the climate, for example strains that are highly resistant to pathogens. At the same time, experimenting continues with new hybrids. An Appellation framework that specifies strains and allows and the development of new ones after regulatory requirements is key to innovation for Humboldt County cannabis.
Lieux-dits: a strength for Humboldt County’s cannabis micro-climates
Humboldt Cannabis cultivators are spread across the forested, mountainous terrain of the county and speak to the tradition of cannabis growing in the various micro-climates of the region.
An Appellation system that values unique micro-climate locations is more likely to benefit the long-term sustainability of small-scale cannabis farmers in Humboldt. Turning to Alsace, there are three Appellations and long a rich, long history of ‘lieu-dit’ (locales), with over 50 lieux-dits in its AOC. As an alternative to Mendocino’s system of multiple Appellations based on geography, further research into a single HC Appellation with a multiplicity of lieux-dits may prove fruitful in the establishment of Humboldt Cannabis Appellation guidelines.
Packaging differentiation
French wines come in different shape bottles. Although the bottle shape doesn’t impact the wine’s flavor, it is a powerful identifier of the region from where the wine is produced. The Alsace wine bottle, long and fluted, is immediately recognizable.
Photo credit: Frenchcellar.com
Humboldt County may find it valuable to consider a required packaging for its flower products that sets it apart from cannabis produced outside the HC Appellation. The packaging would reflects the environmental consciousness that has long existed in the region, and therefore be made without plastic but with a sustainable material. In addition, the packaging should ensure the longevity of the superior product.
Humboldt County: cannabis is part of who we are. In this new adventure, Humboldt Cannabis Appellations can make us strong. Let’s keep it real, let’s be smart and give our community a great future.
What do you feel are the pros and cons of Humboldt Cannabis appellations?
Nicole Riggs is the founder of Manifesto Synergies, providing communications and brand strategies to the Humboldt County cannabis industry. You’ll find her at Moonstone Beach or the Arcata Forest when she’s not drinking (Alsace) wine with friends.