— An upscale cannabis resort on a historic ranch in the fabled pot-growing heartland dubbed the Emerald Triangle.
— A vegan bud, bed and breakfast in Lake Tahoe.
— Modest apartments in Huntington Beach and Sacramento.
These are just a few of the options are your disposal if you want to do some California cannabis tourism — today.
Even though full-on commercial pot sales are at least three months away in the Golden State, tourists don’t have to wait.
Savvy hosts across the state are using the “gifting” part of California legalization to sweeten lodging experiences, similar to the way bottles of wine and wedges of cheese welcome guests in boutique hotels and inns across America.
“We don’t sell cannabis,” said Lisa Donnelly, proprietor of The Red Barn Houseguesthouse in remote Shasta County, 220 miles north of San Francisco. “But I can give guests a couple of grams from my own personal what-I’ve-got.”
Under state law, any adult 21 and over in the state of California can give or receive up to an ounce of cannabis, which passed in November 2016.
Until recreational pot shops begin to open in 2018, AirBnB-style listings offer one of the only ways for tourists to indulge legally. They can’t buy pot at medical shops without a doctor’s recommendation and state residency.
But don’t expect to get a full legal ounce at California’s cannabis-gifting vacation rentals. In most cases, expect gifts closer to one Michael Mischer filled chocolate, not an assortment of Poco Dolce confections.
At B-Love’s Guest House in Oakland, guests find single joints of Bay Area buds on their pillows.
“One of my favorite guests is a man from the East Coast who suffers from migraine headaches,” said Traci Bartlow, B-Love’s proprietor. “You can see the look of relief on his face when he arrives to a joint on his pillow.”
At Wylie Williamson’s private garden apartment in El Cajon, guests receive up to an eighth-ounce per day — from a menu of ten homegrown strains. That can rolls about five joints.
Sweet Leaf Retreat in Plymouth puts on a private pot party for two adults, gifting three grams of cannabis, some pre-rolls cannabis-infused massages, a THC tapas party and THC tinctures for spiking your coffee in the morning.
“Guests get a full taste of our region in a one-night cannabis retreat,” said Brandy LaRae, a massage therapist who’s installing a hash bath at her Amador County cottage.
Feeling Groovy at Eagle Creek Ranch in Trinity County serves a cannabis buffet at 4:20 p.m. daily.
“We’ll be putting edibles on guests’ pillows in the near future,” said Nicole Lanni, who along with her husband, Sam, a cannabis broker, purchased Eagle Creek in March, transforming the Gold Rush-era working ranch into a Green Rush retreat in the Emerald Triangle’s northern tip.
Scores more vacation rentals are cannabis friendly, allowing guests to smoke what they bring.
Here are 17 rentals listed on the specialty lodgings site BudandBreakfast.com that gift their guests cannabis and provide the private spaces to smoke California’s top botanical tourist attraction, ranked by price and amenities:
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FIVE STAR EXPERIENCE
Farm-to-Fork Cannabis Estate, Ukiah
Invite 19 friends and rent an entire private estate on 40 secured acres in Mendocino County, where wine and weed meet in high style in Ukiah, for just $65 per night per person. Amenities include pool, hot tub, gardens, farm-to-fork catering and cannabis, which you can smoke outside and in the compound’s lounge. If you have to ask how much and what kind of cannabis you’ll be gifted, you can’t afford the estate’s $1,300 per night price tag. You can discuss the size and assortment of your gift after booking via BudAndBreakfast.com.
FOUR-STAR LODGINGS
(Photo courtesy of Sweet Leaf Retreat)
Sweet Leaf Retreat, Plymouth
An hour east of Sacramento, Wine Country, Gold Country and Cannabis Country meet in a heady collision of hedonism, healing and hospitality at Sweet Leaf retreat, a 1,000-square-foot loft with a king-size bed set on four rolling acres within a 10-minute drive of 40 wineries in the Shenandoah Valley. In addition to three grams of cannabis — Gold Country sativa, indica and hybrid strains — and a few pre-rolls, you’ll enjoy a spread of savory tapas infused with THC and bottles of local wine. Sweet Leaf hostess Brandy LaRae gives cannabis-infused massages. There’s an infrared sauna on site. There’s a morning coffee bar where you can spike your cup with THC tinctures. $420 per night for two people, plus $125 per each additional person, up to six people. Additional nights without cannabis and massage add-ons $125 per night. Book via Airbnb.com,BudAndBreakfast.com or directly.
(Photo courtesy of Feeling Groovy at Eagle Creek Ranch)
Feeling Groovy at Eagle Creek Ranch, Trinity Center
While the 116-acre working ranch dates to the Gold Rush era, Eagle Creek’s new owners have ushered in a new Green Rush era at the historic property 281 miles north of San Francisco. Feeling Groovy at Eagle Creek Ranch is a year-round cannabis guest ranch and resort featuring fine linens, velvet couches and a daily cannabis happy hour bar at 4:20 p.m. Two historic guest houses (one was a Gold Rush telegraph station and the barn was a Pony Express stop) accommodate 24 people. Cabins, yurts and more RV and tent camping are planned, as is commercial cannabis cultivation. Traditional ranch breakfast is served daily. Lunch and dinner are available. Cannabis-infused meals can be arranged. Indulge in the 4:20 p.m cannabis bar then herd pink sheep. Pink sheep? Pink elephants are associated with alcohol intoxication. Pink sheep, at least at Feeling Groovy, are a cannabis thing. Sheep dyed in pastel shades of pink, blue and green are moved from meadow to barn each afternoon. Guests can get high and help herd livestock that look like easter eggs. Horseback riding year-round. Fishing, hunting and hiking in fall. Swimming and boating in summer. Snowshoeing in winter. $110 – $350 per night per person, depending on room. Book directly or via BudAndBreakfast.com.
The Barn House at Stonewall Ranch, Igo
Experience California’s new hospitality in Shasta County’s oldest barn. Built in 1852, The Barn House was renovated 30 years ago and is situated between two large meadows divided by a year-round creek on 50 acres of secluded land 15 miles west of Redding near Whiskeytown Lake. Hostesses Lisa Donnelly and Denise Wallace, the nearest neighbors within a quarter mile, make CBD topicals under the Clear Creek Botanicals Brand. Along with a couple of grams of Donnelly’s local sun-grown cannabis stash, you’ll receive a gift basket of CBD sun lotion, face cream, body lotion and sports salve. You might also receive local honey, local wine and local eggs too. The Barn House can accommodate RVs and trailer boats. $110 per night via BudAndBreakfast.com.
Wine Country Bliss Out, Glen Ellen
An artists’ retreat surrounded by 12 forested acres in the hills dividing Sonoma and Napa counties, near wineries, tasting rooms and gourmet food. There’s a soaking tub in the trees and a sunset view from the full kitchen. Sleeps four: two in Bed House, which boasts a king bed and private bathroom, and two in Barn House, which features a queen bed and short walkway to a private bath with a clawfoot tub and an outdoor shower. $350 per night plus fees via BudAndBreakfast.com.
(Photo courtesy of BudAndBreakfast.com)
Magic Mountain, Glen Ellen
Mountain meets water at this secluded getaway in a ranch-style setting that includes a koi pond, swimming pond, hiking trails mountain views and a private hot tub near wineries, tasting rooms and gourmet food. $350 per night plus fees via BudAndBreakfast.com.
(Photo courtesy of BudAndBreakfast.com)
Post-and-Beam Mod House, Palm Springs
About 100 miles from Los Angeles, experience modern architecture in this three-bedroom post-and-beam designer-furnished home in Palm Springs’ architecturally historic Little Beverly Hills, a suburban desert district brimming Fifties- and Sixties-era modern homes. There’s a pool, spa, fire pit, cactus garden and private courtyard. Enjoy gifted tins of vacuum-sealed Coachella Valley cannabis, edibles and use of a vaporizer. $249 per night plus fees via BudAndBreakfast.com.
(Photo courtesy Casa Bello)
Casa Bello, Santa Rosa
A high-end bed and breakfast in tree-lined downtown neighborhood that’s hosted some of the cannabis industry’s movers and shakers. The 1870’s-era Victorian home is made from ancient redwoods harvested from the northern part of Sonoma County. Inquire about the inn’s cannabis gift when you book your room. Smoking is allowed on the inn’s outdoor patio. Book directly starting at $89 per per night.
THREE-STAR OPTIONS
The Om House, South Lake Tahoe
The Om House is the only bud, bed and breakfast in Lake Tahoe, gifting guests a few grams of organic, sun-grown Tahoe cannabis, plus use of a water pipe to enjoy it indoors or outdoors. Located in a tranquil, tree-filled residential neighborhood on Gardner Mountain just east of Highway 50 and no far from the California-Nevada state line. Hike to picturesque Fallen Leaf Lake via a nearby trail. Dog-friendly. Craft beer drinkers, rejoice, too: The Om House also gifts crowlers of beer from South Lake Brewing Company, There is a catch. The Om House is strictly vegan — no meat or dairy are allowed on the property, even the grill on the deck. The Om House is well-stocked with healthful snacks and pantry items in case you get the vegan munchies from the innkeeper’s all-natural cannabis gift. $140-$160 per night via Airbnb.
(Photo courtesy of BudAndBreakfast.com)
The 420 House, Joshua Tree
Enjoy gifted tins of vacuum-sealed Coachella Valley cannabis, edibles and use of a vaporizer. Hippy-chic meets Blade Runner in this house 7 miles from the west entrance to Joshua Tree National Park. Sleeps six comfortably. Backyard patio includes grill, fire pit and “redneck hot tub” fashioned out of a cattle trough. $99 per night plus $25 each additional guest and fees via BudAndBreakfast.com.
The Cactus Patch, Joshua Tree
A full apartment with a private sundeck sleeps six 4 miles east of Joshua Tree, 130 miles outside of Los Angeles. Located on 10 acres. Gifted cannabis assists sunrises, sunsets and star shows. From $147 per night, plus $10 per each additional guest and fees via BudAndBreakfast.com.
(Photo courtesy of BudAndBreakfast.com)
Big Blue House, Anaheim
Bed and breakfast in the Anaheim Colony Historic district. Smoke gifted bud before catching a Lyft or Uber and you’ll still be high when you enter Disneyland, about three miles away from this big blue B&B that gifts guests bud. $200 per night via BudAndBreakfast.com.
BARGAIN OPTIONS
Private Garden Room, El Cajon
Private room with a private entrance opening onto a garden of succulents, fruit trees and vegetables. Gifted cannabis includes up to an eighth per day of homegrown — your choice of 10 strains. Standard breakfast provided; breakfast can be infused with cannabis. If you want, host can take you on a San Diego art, culture and brewery tours. From $100 per person per night, $20 for each additional guest, plus fees, via BudAndBreakfast.com.
B-Love’s Guest House, Oakland
Arrive to a joint on your pillow — rolled from Bay Area bud — at this Victorian inn that caters to visiting artists and business professionals in a diverse urban neighborhood minutes away from downtown Oakland, Emeryville and Berkeley, and close to major public transportation. Enjoy your gifted joint in B-Love’s garden. Enjoy a hearty, healthful breakfast too. Rooms $60, plus fees and $20 each additional person, via BudAndBreakfast.com or directly.
Private Room with Private Bath – The 60’s Mod House, Palm Springs
Enjoy a private room and private bath in a modern post-and-beam home in Palm Springs’ architecturally historic Little Beverly Hills district. Enjoy a gifted tin of vacuum-sealed Coachella Valley cannabis, plus kitchen, pool, spa, fire pit, cactus garden and private courtyard. $79 plus fees and $25 per additional person, via BudAndBreakfast.com.
Yurt, Annapolis
Fresh buds and a vaporizer provided at this yurt in the redwoods near the coast 20 minutes from the Gualala River. With advance notice, the host will cook you breakfast or dinner from farm-raised ingredients. $95 plus fees and $35 each additional person via BudAndBreakfast.com.
Private Room and Private Bathroom, Huntington Beach
Two miles from the beach and cannabis provided. $50 plus $10 per each additional person via BudAndBreakfast.com.