California's Marijuana Snobs Brace for Inferior Legal Weed

Proposition 64 has gained massive amounts of traction this year as Californians prepare to vote and legalize recreational marijuana for the state. In the event of recreational marijuana legalization, it's no doubt that the market will be flooded with competitors trying to make their mark, but some current marijuana professionals in Mendocino County are hoping to designate their location as Cannabis County, where the state's best cannabis is grown in a specific climate and style. Similar to the wine industry, they hope to give their cannabis an official label alongside the unique qualitites their region brings, while also separating themselves from cheap imitations. Regardless of the appellation's success, it's nearly certain that Californians will vote to pass Proposition 64, bringing in an estimated $7 billion, and nearly $1 billion in tax revenue every year. 

The hope is to protect Mendocino farmers through a legally defined and protected geographical identification system similar to whats used in the wine industry.

Calvino hopes to divide Cannabis County further into small subregions, each known for the unique flavor of marijuana grown in specific climates. Official appellations will bring protection from cheap competition, and also a sense of legitimacy to what has, until very recently, been an illicit enterprise.