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The concept of appellations refers to a place of origin, and is receiving significant attention in the cannabis industry.

In areas like Humboldt, Trinity, Mendocino and Sonoma, where sun-grown cannabis is the norm, farmers are advocating for an appellation’s designation, which will certify where something was grown and how. Supporters believe that appellation designations will prevent the whitewashing of cannabis cultivation and solidify certain regions as go-to destinations for sourcing cannabis goods.

Much like with wine and cheese, cultivators hope an appellation will differentiate product quality and create a lasting bid in the market. Amid declining prices and a decided market move away from outdoor in the smokeable flower category, the push is on to create cannabis appellations.

According to the California Department of Food and Agriculture, an appellation of origin is “a protected designation that identifies the geographical region of a product and usually includes production requirements.” The program intends to help prevent the misrepresentation of a cannabis goods’ origin and promote regional collaboration around production.

To qualify for an appellation’s designation, cannabis must be grown in the ground, and without the use of structures or artificial light. In other words, appellation programs are for sun-grown flower only and prevent indoor, mixed-light, and sun-grown greenhouse operators from participating.

Part of me grumbled when I came to understand the limited scope of the appellation’s designation. There are sun-grown greenhouse grows that plant directly in native soil and use cold frames with greenhouse plastic simply to block a bit of UV and prevent flowers from full environmental exposure. No power, no tarps, just vented frames with greenhouse covers. In my view, sun-grown greenhouse flower has unparalleled beauty. Buds get frostier under skins while reducing potential scorch and bronzing. But in the purest sense, greenhouses littering the horizon are off-putting to some and arguably spoil the surrounding natural beauty.

Moreover, supporters of appellation programs argue that terroir — or the natural environment in which a product is produced including factors such as soil, topography and climate—  directly impact the quality and uniqueness of products produced.

This is certainly the case, as I have written about in the past. The very same strain can take on very different expressions based on microclimate exposure. Flowers grown in hot, arid environments will look very different than those grown with moderate temperatures and marine layer influence. Herein lies an opportunity to brand and differentiate according to many farmers.

To be clear, I applaud the concept of cannabis appellations and understand they have created significant economic value in other industries. That said, I question their viability in terms of unifying regional producers – I believe they will do the opposite.

I just googled the term “appellations” and came up with a list of the top 100 appellations for wine, along with a dizzying array of others.

Herein lies my concern.

As we look to break up a geographical area like Humboldt into multiple appellations, I fear divisiveness and further segmentation among industry participants. The cultivation community in Humboldt is already fractured. We have HCGA, Humboldt Grace and several other cannabis organizations, all presumably pedaling in their own direction. While there is undoubtedly some collaboration between these groups as we saw in the Suspend Measure S campaign, they have not really been able to coalesce around shared goals – even something as basic as marketing Humboldt cannabis.

[CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Humboldt Grace was, like HCGA, an “alliance” that “advocates for its members.” Humboldt Grace is not a membership organization. The Outpost regrets the error.]

If we slice up the county further based on appellation, I fear competition will increase as various regions market themselves as the preferred spot for sourcing products. Instead of one voice advocating for the benefits of consciously grown cannabis, a term I often hear used by my friend Chris at Redwood Roots, we will now have a further bifurcated market with multiple regions presumably claiming superiority.

Given the financial headwinds facing the industry and ever-increasing competition, I believe things will get contentious between different regions which will detract, rather than support, Humboldt’s cannabis-related marketing efforts.

Depending on how aggressive we get with defining appellations, the county could potentially be segmented into many regions, further muddying the waters. In the simplest sense, we could go with SoHum, NorHum and Eastern Humboldt, but these regions boast of enormous diversity and oversimplification would sell the concept of appellations short, failing to truly honor terroir. Lowland producers, those at elevation, and those closer to or further from the coast have very different environmental exposures and will grow very different expressions of the same flower.

One might also wonder if the folks in Redway want to be grouped with those in Shively, Myers Flat, Phillipsville, Garberville, Miranda, Briceland or the Cove. What about Bridgeville, Larabee, Dinsmore and County Line? Hydesville, Carlotta and Swain’s Flat?

For example, I saw a proposed Appellation logo for Palo Verde proudly claiming to be the “Heart and Soul of the Emerald Triangle.” How do other regions feel about that? If Humboldt or the Emerald Triangle more broadly has multiple regions vying for the same, I’m not sure this helps overall outreach efforts.

Additionally, while connoisseurs may detect the nuances in cannabis flavor profiles based on the appellation, I’m not sure average consumers will. Will someone detect the slightly earthier or slightly more piney undertones from one cannabis flower to another? Will these differences create brand loyalty and improve prices? I’m not sure they will.

I have personally smoked truckloads of weed over the past three decades but generally find that OG tastes like OG and that Wedding Cake tastes like Wedding Cake. Flowers clearly look different based on environmental exposure, but I haven’t noted a meaningfully different consumption experience based on where something was grown outdoors. I don’t claim to have a refined cannabis palate, but argue most consumers don’t either.

While it’s entirely true that poorly grown or quick-dried weed will burn hotter and harsher, Appellation designation won’t solve that, nor account for these differences.

What I generally hear in response to this critique is that different regions will specialize — that is, they will grow what grows best in their appellation and become known for that. I agree that some strains do better in some places, but question whether, on a global basis, cannabis varietals will become as ubiquitous to certain regions as some grapes or cheeses are.

Another potential factor limiting the success of appellation designation is that smokeable flower is decreasing in market share. Extracts, edibles, drinkables, topicals and other methods of consumption are gaining ground quickly, and some believe that ultimately, smoking flower will be the exception, not the rule. Not everyone likes to smell like burnt weed, and many users find smoking irritates the throat. Even “smooth” smoke hits novice users like a hammer and induces coughing and a burning throat.

In short, I believe that given changing consumer preferences, cannabis appellations will become less important over time.

I understand that times are scary for cannabis cultivators. Average prices are falling in all states with competitive markets and more opening licensing schemes. Offers for fresh product here in Cali continue to erode and I fear a nasty close to the season for full-term and late second-run farms that won’t come to market for a couple of months.

Appellation programs are trying to bring demand and economic value back to regions that are struggling. I get it and empathize with that desire. And I truly hope cannabis appellations are a home run for Humboldt and other regions.

But given the risks of further dividing an already fragmented cannabis community, I think a better play is a more inclusive marketing program that highlights the diversity and uniqueness of a cultivation community like Humboldt. Through marketing the diverse microclimates and cultivation methodologies deployed by Humboldt cultivators, we can differentiate ourselves as uniquely positioned to meet consumer needs. One governing or marketing body that encompasses all farmers in the region and tells a diverse, unifying story makes more sense to me. Sun-grown flower, coastal zone living soil indoor, and mountain grown mixed-light are all differentiators we should be proud of and capitalize on as a community.

Much love,

Jesse

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Jesse Duncan is a lifelong Humboldt County resident, a father of six, a retired financial advisor and a full-time commercial cannabis grower. He is also the creator of NorCal Financial and Cannabis Consulting, a no-cost platform that helps small farmers improve their cultivation, business and financial skills. Please check out his blog at, his Instagram at jesse_duncann, and connect with him on Linkedin.