Where the Bohemian Highway meets miles of thick redwoods, there’s a little town called Occidental. Believed to be the birthplace of marijuana, this is where the gold rush met the green rush, and the pioneers of the cannabis industry set down their roots to grow, and harvest bud after bud with pride. The town’s namesake, and premium cannabis brand, Occidental Hills, sought to tell their story of rich, hidden history. So we went way back—nearly 200 years back—to uncover the history of this little town and how of all places, weed grew up here. 

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We turned Instagram into a newspaper, releasing a semi-weekly paper, “The Occidental Gazette,” to dish out the hot tea of 1800s Occidental scoundrels, hooligans and of course, the sweet, sweet smell of that Northern California green. 

 

Working with a historian, aka Occidental’s token fan boy, we got the jist of this little town’s past—the feuds, romances, business affairs, and affairs—all the culture that grew that sweet bud. From there, we hit the town, and made friends with Joanne at the local library on Main Street, as we scoured databases of 1800s photographs, journals and town papers. All these assets—they’re real—juicy like a small town reality show—and we’ve got townie fans to prove it.