Cannabis Company Buys Tiny California Town

Purchased for $5 million, Nipton, California is slated to become "the country’s first energy-independent, cannabis-friendly hospitality destination."

1 minute read

August 10, 2017, 11:00 AM PDT

By Elana Eden


Marijuana

Soru Epotok / Shutterstock

Marijuana start-up American Green Inc. has signed an agreement to purchase the six-person, 80-acre town of Nipton in San Bernardino County in hopes of creating a cannabis tourist destination there. In a statement, the company’s president compared the potential for legal cannabis to revitalize communities to the Gold Rush.

Though "conveniently located in the middle of nowhere," Nipton already has a (relatively) sizable tourism industry because of its proximity to the Mojave National Preserve. Now, the cannabis company plans to ramp up that industry, using marijuana as the main draw.

Once the sale goes through, American Green plans to start with Nipton’s water: The town sits on a Pleistocene-era underground lake, and the company wants to bottle cannabis-infused H2O for distribution in California, where recreational marijuana became legal last year. American Green said it is also in talks with edible and extraction companies about setting up production facilities in Nipton. Eventually, the company plans to offer everything from cannabis mineral baths to artists-in-residence programs and cannabis culinary events.

Nipton currently gets about half of its power from a solar array built by its previous owner, a geologist, who passed away in 2016.

Thursday, August 3, 2017 in Quartz

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Haussmann's redesign of Paris in the 1850s through 1870s under Napoleon III.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking

Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

June 30, 2025 - Tom Sanchez

Street with parking protected bike lane and parked cars in downtown Portland, Oregon.

Portland Raises Parking Fees to Pay for Street Maintenance

The city is struggling to bridge a massive budget gap at the Bureau of Transportation, which largely depleted its reserves during the Civd-19 pandemic.

July 8 - Willamette Week

Aerial view of Spokane, Washington with river in foreground.

Spokane Mayor Introduces Housing Reforms Package

Mayor Lisa Brown’s proposals include deferring or waiving some development fees to encourage more affordable housing development.

July 8 - The Spokesman-Review

Close-up on black and white "Bike Lane Ends" sign with bike logo.

Houston Mayor Kills Another Bike Lane

The mayor rejected a proposed bike lane in the Montrose district in keeping with his pledge to maintain car lanes.

July 8 - Houston Public Media

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Associate/Senior Planner

Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development

Senior Planner

Heyer Gruel & Associates PA