Mendocino Appellation Project
Rather than constantly having to react to some absurdity of law or regulation being imposed on us, it is time to make a positive statement. I am convinced that creating specific appellation of origin zones for the heritage artisanal cannabis cultivators in the mountains of the Emerald Triangle is the single most positive action we can take.
The California Department of Food and Agriculture and the Mendocino County Agricultural Commission have been authorized to create appellations for cannabis. In both cases, the exact definition of appellation is not given. Now is the time for input from the cannabis community on this crucial issue.
At the moment in the United States, not even the wine industry has true appellations. Rather, wine producing areas are identified with Geographical Indications (GI) called American Viticulture Areas (AVA). This designation, however, has no other qualification than to stipulate that at least 85% of the grapes used to make that wine were grown in the named geographical area. Further, the only requirement for a GI is that it already is recognized as a geographical area in a known source, such as a telephone book, a name on a map or a post office.
In France, on the other hand, Appellation d’Origine Controlée (AOC) has many more stipulations and limitations. The purpose of these is to identify the unique conditions prevailing in that area of origin, to show that that is precisely why the product too, is unique. Many factors are considered, not just the name of the geographical area. For example, weather is an important factor; things like number of days over 80 degrees, number of days under 40 degrees, average rainfall per month, number of foggy days, first and last frost dates. Then, of course, one must determine soil quality and composition, which is based on the geology of the region as well as the water, the relative percentages of minerals, sand, clay, loam and organic matter.
The other set of factors are the human interventions in the process, such as watering, pruning, grafting, blending and fertilizing, which is a product of generations of trial and error by the families of the farmers in the region. Significant here are the breeding of unique varietal strains adapted to the local conditions.
The French have a concept which encompasses all of these ecological elements such as climate, geology, soil and cultural heritage combined with a spiritual relationship with the land. The word is Terroir; most simply translated as “of the Land, of the Place.”
The key issue for cannabis is how the state and county will define appellation. The word appellation in French simply means “to be called”, as in the first phrase memorized in beginning French: Je m’appell Swami.” “I myself am called Swami,” or “I call myself Swami.”
First and foremost, appellation must be a verification of origin, that is a geographic indication, but many questions still remain. For example: Will an indoor grow in Mendocino in the foggy coastal zone be able to get an “appellation d’origins controlée”? The answer, it seems, would have to be no. It would have to be Sungrown, otherwise it is not Terroir. Rather, the plants are in a controlled climate and in most cases would not be in the ground or in native soil, so are not a participant in the local ecology. There would also need to be a limit on the percent of commercial potting soil one is permitted.
But the grow could possibly have a designation as Indoor Grown in Mendocino County, simply because it was grown here. This needs to be debated.. There are some stake holders who are willing to compromise on this. In my opinion, it would have to be called Indoor Grown, Light Dep Grown and Green House Grown in Mendocino County. This would reserve the French style designation Appellation of Origin Controlled to the highest quality flowers grown in the ground with organic methods using locally unique strains.
Seed strains are a big issue. Would someone growing one of the popular mass produced strains qualify for an appellation? Or should it be limited to a cultivator/breeder who has developed his or her own climate adapted strains or a farmer who uses seeds from a long time local breeder? This issue has gotten more urgent because there is a threat that the major cannabis seed strains will be broadly patented, a utility patent on intellectual property, enabling a few companies to own the genetics and sue independent breeders. What is the best way to protect local breeders? Are strains truly specific to geographic regions, that is to the terroir? Do they originate in a locality but then change as they spread wide? How can genetics be patented, when nature created them?
Appellation of Origin Controlled is one of the greatest tools for protecting the heritage craft farmers who pioneered the cannabis culture in Northern California. All over the world, the best cannabis grows at higher elevations. Here, in the mountains of the Emerald Triangle there is a large community of people knowledgeable in all aspects of cannabis cultivation and also in all phases of the myriad forms of manufactured products. Mendocino and Humboldt clearly qualify for appellation status, as will other traditional cannabis growing areas in the state, when they define their uniqueness.
Nikki and I have been working with the Mendocino Appellations Project (MAP) to lay the ground work for sub-appellations in the County. So far, a map has been proposed identifying eleven different cannabis growing zones. I am sure that a few more zones will be delineated as we gather data about climate, soil conditions and local culture. We are looking for sponsors and for cultivators who will actively participate in gathering the data from farms in the several appellations in order to identify their unique characteristics. And we are still debating the actual definition for appellation: how inclusive or exclusive will it be? Do there need to be several distinct categories? Who will enforce it? The time to decide is Now.
