Nipton, California: Marijuana Company Purchases Entire Town For Pot Tourism

A tiny California town with a population of six people may become the “Disney” of marijuana tourism after a weed company purchased the area for $5 million with pot paradise plans.

The 120-acre town of Nipton, California, near the Nevada border, was bought Thursday by American Green Inc., a publicly traded marijuana technology and growing firm based out of Arizona. The company said in a statement it is planning the country’s “first energy-independent, cannabis-friendly hospitality destination.”

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Planners describe a marijuana-friendly town of bed-and-breakfasts, pot farms and dispensaries for tourists to visit. A consultant to American Green and general manager of the Nipton, Calif., project, Stephen Shearin, confirmed the pot paradise plans to Forbes, even comparing it to Disney World’s Epcot Center.

"We want people to understand that this is a serious venture, with thoughtful business and community planning behind it, and not a fantasy or party zone," he said.

About an hour’s drive from Las Vegas and three hours from Los Angeles, Nipton is a remnant of the Gold Rush era and currently has a hotel, general store and a schoolhouse occupying its land. American Green says it will focus its initial efforts on bottling cannabis-infused water before moving onto marijuana edibles production and cannabis cultivation. The company laid out an 18-month, $2.5 million development time frame for its pot production plans.

The company said the “first-of-its-kind eco-tourism experience for conscious cannabis consumers” will feature mineral baths, lodging, and pot retail outfits. The company also announced 40 acres of land dedicated to housing solar facilities.

American Green has consulted with dispensary businesses in California, Colorado, Washington, Oregon and Arizona in the past. According to Reuters, the company provides legal compliance, financial, and business development services to licensed nonprofit medical marijuana dispensaries in regulated states.

"The Cannabis Revolution that's going on here in the U.S. has the power to completely revitalize communities in the same way gold did during the 19th century," David Gwyther, chairman, and president of American Green said in a statement.

"This acquisition allows us to channel the myriad interests in cannabis production and consumption for an immediate positive impact to this community's members and to cannabis consumers across the country, said Gwyther.

Recreational marijuana use has been legalized in the states of California and Nevada, but it remains a Schedule 1 level drug to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency and is not recognized as legal to federal authorities.