Ron Strider
Well-Known Member
Earlier this summer, AD wrote about the architectural possibilities of cannabis, reporting about a house in Israel that used hemp as an organic building material. Now, expanding our scope as we consider this emerging market, we travel to Nipton, California, a town in San Bernardino County that American Green, a publicly-traded cannabis company, recently purchased. The company plans to treat this new venture as a blueprint for what it foresees to be a big future market of cannabis-based tourism and living.
As the former CEO of American Green and current general manager of the Nipton project, Stephen Shearin, explains, “it’s hard to tell just what the actual impact of the Green Rush is,” referring to the economic expansion of the cannabis industry. “With this project,” he says, “we can track things every step of the way to see exactly what the numbers are.” The 120-acre site will offer a range of cannabis-related programs, including cannabis gastronomy, cannabis retail opportunities, and cannabidiol baths. Widespread applications of cannabis notwithstanding, American Green insists Nipton won’t turn into a marijuana trope. “This will be a family-friendly environment where you can stop for a bite to eat or go for a mountain bike ride,” explains Shearin. “It won’t be a theme park.”
The company is now preparing a master plan that will include architectural design guidelines and the infrastructure that any municipality needs. The goal is to make it completely energy independent, capitalizing on the area’s abundant possibilities for solar power and on an underground aquifer. They plan to approach housing in keeping with the “tiny house” principle and to build on Nipton’s existing character. “You will be able to feel a sense of an historic place,” says Shearin. In keeping with the company’s empirical approach, they will phase in growth over time. “We will develop a plan that will let us build out chunk by chunk,” he explains.
Shearin and his team did an extensive search for the site, reconciling demands for easy access, climate, price, and, importantly, a regulatory environment hospitable toward marijuana. Situated in California between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, just off busy Interstate 15, Nipton checked all of the boxes.
Nipton planners have their hands full as they start to implement the American Green vision, but already the company is looking farther afield. “We hope this will provide a blueprint for a sensible policy that other cities can utilize going forward.”
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Would You Like to Live in America'''s First Marijuana Town? | Architectural Digest
Author: John Gendall
Contact: Architectural Digest
Photo Credit: Getty Images
Website: Architectural Digest
As the former CEO of American Green and current general manager of the Nipton project, Stephen Shearin, explains, “it’s hard to tell just what the actual impact of the Green Rush is,” referring to the economic expansion of the cannabis industry. “With this project,” he says, “we can track things every step of the way to see exactly what the numbers are.” The 120-acre site will offer a range of cannabis-related programs, including cannabis gastronomy, cannabis retail opportunities, and cannabidiol baths. Widespread applications of cannabis notwithstanding, American Green insists Nipton won’t turn into a marijuana trope. “This will be a family-friendly environment where you can stop for a bite to eat or go for a mountain bike ride,” explains Shearin. “It won’t be a theme park.”
The company is now preparing a master plan that will include architectural design guidelines and the infrastructure that any municipality needs. The goal is to make it completely energy independent, capitalizing on the area’s abundant possibilities for solar power and on an underground aquifer. They plan to approach housing in keeping with the “tiny house” principle and to build on Nipton’s existing character. “You will be able to feel a sense of an historic place,” says Shearin. In keeping with the company’s empirical approach, they will phase in growth over time. “We will develop a plan that will let us build out chunk by chunk,” he explains.
Shearin and his team did an extensive search for the site, reconciling demands for easy access, climate, price, and, importantly, a regulatory environment hospitable toward marijuana. Situated in California between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, just off busy Interstate 15, Nipton checked all of the boxes.
Nipton planners have their hands full as they start to implement the American Green vision, but already the company is looking farther afield. “We hope this will provide a blueprint for a sensible policy that other cities can utilize going forward.”
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Would You Like to Live in America'''s First Marijuana Town? | Architectural Digest
Author: John Gendall
Contact: Architectural Digest
Photo Credit: Getty Images
Website: Architectural Digest
