By At the auspicious time of 4:20 PM on April 20, 2023, I am in my highest Zen state, floating supine in a mineral pool heated to 85 degrees Fahrenheit by an underground hot spring. . Spring sun, I feel absolutely euphoric when tension is released from my body. On the drive from Oakland to the top of Napa Valley, it’s only when the tension and stress I’ve been carrying start to feel the effects of the weight I’ve been carrying. We take it as one element of a complete holistic jump into joy. new company, cannesscapeis hosting an overnight event in wine country that spotlights the best of California’s famous agricultural bounty and cannabis. Carte du Jour.
While weed-infused dinners are not uncommon in the Golden State, they are often held in private homes and event spaces due to gray-zone legalities regarding cannabis consumption. Founded by chelsea davis, cannesscape Combining cannabis cuisine with legendary hotel facilities, we are breaking the boundaries of the tourism industry. Her first event in February was held at the Phoenix Hotel in San Francisco. Her second event was held on her 4/20. Dr. Wilkinson’s Calistoga resort known for its mineral pools and volcanic mud baths. As we speak ahead of the April 20th event, Davis is right after a press trip to a luxury hotel in Fiji.
“I know what to value as a traveler and when to go to a hotel or a great dinner,” says Davis. “Hospitality, travel experiences, great dinners. He feels that his experience writing about events really helped him in planning these events.”
Arrive in Calistoga, soak in the pool, and head to your hotel room to prepare for Kanneske dinner. I grew up in Solano County, which borders Napa County, and have fond childhood memories of spending time with my mom and brother in Calistoga. In fact, the first time I stayed at Dr. Wilkinson’s was with his mother several years ago. The hotel, founded in 1952, has since undergone a renovation. The property retains its iconic neon signs and the pool is the same, but now has a mid-century modern look designed to appeal to a younger demographic.
In front of the city’s main street under neon lights is another sign that reads, “Where Wellness Meets Happiness.” The property has directional markers pointing to “Detox” and “Retox”. Once a producer of crops such as walnuts and prunes, Napa Valley is now known as one of the most famous wine regions in the world. Calistoga fully embraces its location within the iconic wine-growing region, but it’s a rare venue for cannabis events because the city doesn’t allow commercial cannabis cultivation or adult-use dispensaries. .
“Of course, there are many who are against it. [cannabis], they are very set in their ways. They think it will hurt Napa Valley’s reputation. At times, we were betting that we would continue to grow in terms of viable tourism industry.”
The idea for Cannescape came from Davis’ background in tourism and travel, and more specifically her social media outreach. Napa Valley Cannabis Association.
“Napa is known for its great wine experiences, beautiful vineyards, fine dining and very luxurious experiences, but they also want to cater to a younger demographic, and this demographic wants more of the experience. “The fact that cannabis is legal, as well as fine wine, is clearly what makes California unique.”
California cannabis law stipulates that only licensed dispensaries can sell THC-infused food and beverages. , smoking is not included.
“Most hotels have no-smoking policies, but that’s just an extra complication that I try to avoid right now,” Davis explains.
When I headed to the glass-enclosed event space where the CBD dinner was held, I realized it was still a little early and joined a yoga class held in the lawn area in front of the hotel lobby. An all-nighter at Cannescape coincides with Calistoga Wellness Week, and I take it all in. After you feel like you’ve made an instant friendship with another dinner guest, join another Wellness Week activity to make scented candles together. Then head over to a six-course meal. This is presented by the connections Davis has made through her writing. chef solomon johnsonJohnson wins Episode 4 chopped 420, a cannabis cooking contest produced by Food Network. He and his business His partner chef Michael His Woods is the ghost of Auckland Pan-African takeaways from his kitchen After starting his restaurant, Busdown, restaurant OKO in Auckland’s famous Tribune Tower was opened. When I’m talking to Johnson, he’s in his home state of Maryland working to open a restaurant inside a food hall.
“I’m not a cannabis chef. I’m just trying to remind everyone that I’m just a cannabis-loving chef,” says Johnson. “I think of it like any other ingredient in my pantry.”
Johnson considers himself an advocate of botanical medicine. Microdosing is the key concept behind his CBD dinners.
“We’re going to make sure everyone is mindful of their consumption. Too much of anything is clearly a bad thing,” he says. , being conscious and purposeful about why you take your medication and when you take your medication is an important part of growing as a cannabis consumer.”
The dinner event begins with the event sponsor’s presentation.This includes authors and certified sommeliers Jamie Evans, herb som, talks about pairing cannabis and wine. In her presentation, Evans rotates wine glasses filled with various plants, including cannabis, to introduce terpenes, which are aromatic elements that are present in both cannabis and wine and contribute to taste. Stephanie HonigChairman Napa Valley Cannabis Association, tell the group about their experience promoting cannabis in an area known for wine. Honig is also the Director of Sales and Communications for the family-run Honig Vineyard and Winery.
“We all want the best for Napa,” Honig told me over the phone ahead of the 4/20 event. “We are a third generation family business, with four children and want Napa to be successful, worthy and prosperous in the future, but not what it looks like. Opinions are divided: For some wine producers and some Napa residents, it’s really about sticking to wine alone. there is no other.”
Most visitors to Napa Valley are baby boomers and Gen Xers, Honig explained, noting that the area needs to look to attracting younger demographics if it is to remain successful. I’m here.
“We are losing [young tourists], in places like Mendocino and Lake County, they can go not only to wineries, but to breweries and eat great food, to cannabis gardens for a diverse experience. says Honig. “Napa has had double-digit success over the last 20-30 years, and that’s great, but I don’t believe you take your hat off. I think we’ll have to see what happens.”
At the April 20th event, Honig said he believes low-dose cannabis drinks could be an alternative or additive to alcoholic beverages. The Cannesscape dinner reinforces this idea by starting with a non-alcoholic cannabis aperitif. AltetNext, me and the other diners popped into Johnson’s meal. Each course contained 10.5 mg of his CBD, but a side dish was also provided containing 30 mg of his THC-infused avocado oil. Dinner highlights included black bean soup with tempura cannabis leaf crisps and crab tarts with maltese sauce and caviar. Most of the dinners were calmed down with a smile due to the effect of
“think about [CBD] It’s less psychotropic and more relaxing, that’s a noticeable difference and I think it’s part of the educational process,” says Johnson. Hmm, I think it’s great because they may never have experienced the “medicated” feeling.
Johnson says attending a dinner like the one hosted by Kannescape is a “powerful social experience” and should include educating diners so they can break through cannabis-related stigma. It is also an opportunity to boost tourism revenue in the local economy.
“Having had the opportunity to work with so many iconic spaces has ignited the fire in a way that we might not have been able to do on our own if we were trying to provide this service without them. But it’s also a symbiotic relationship in the sense that these spaces aren’t always fully booked,” says Johnson. “Whether people admit it or not, we’re in an economic crisis and Bay Area people are generally very smart with their money.”
Cannabis Entrepreneur and Activist Say Goodbye After Dinner amber center whose company Origin of native species Coffee was served during a two-course CBD-infused breakfast the next morning. national cannabis festivalWe both agreed that the Cannesscape event was one of the classiest 4/20s we’ve ever experienced. “Wellness” is a buzzword that is often used in both the cannabis and travel industries, but it’s also possible to combine cannabinoids with other healthy habits such as eating fresh food, participating in physical activities such as yoga, or sunbathing. When combined with the magic point of ultimate relaxation appears. Natural mineral spring water.
“We are premiering new sections of cannabis tourism, including fine dining and cannabis-infused dining that accompany travel,” Davis said.
