IndustryStrains & products

How to Buy Authentic ‘Humboldt’ Cannabis—Right Now!

Published on August 31, 2018 · Last updated November 14, 2022
Anthony Viator removes a branch of buds from a marijuana plant on Laura Costa's farm near Garberville, Calif. (Rich Pedroncelli/AP)

Only sparkling wine from Champagne, France can carry the label Champagne.

Now, thanks to California legalization, only cannabis grown in famed regions like Humboldt or Mendocino County can be labeled as such.

But just like Gucci and Prada, counterfeiting cannabis brands is a global, multi-billion dollar business. The “Emerald Triangle” in California is America’s cannabis farm heartland—pumping out classics like OG Kush, Granddaddy Purple, and Trainwreck since the ‘80s.

Want to Locate Your Nearest Dispensary?For the first time, consumers can shop authentic product to support these farmers as they try to survive industrialization and consolidation.

California legalization Proposition 64 rules have taken effect this year, so the idea of “appellations” for cannabis like wine isn’t a pipe dream. It’s here, now. No legal cannabis product in California can claim a county on its labeling unless it’s sourced there. (Trivia tip: that’s partly why “hmbldt” vape pens had to change their name.)

Consumers can vote with their dollars for verified heirloom, regional cannabis if they know where to look. And one good place to start is on jars of herb with a “SICPA” stamp.

SICPA stamps help shoppers buy cannabis verifiably grown by old-school growers like Humboldt Sky of Humboldt County. (David Downs/Leafly)

SICPA stamps help shoppers buy cannabis verifiably grown by old-school growers like Humboldt Sky of Humboldt County. (David Downs/Leafly)

This international tax stamp company, SICPA, currently runs the “CalOrigin” cannabis system in Humboldt, Mendocino, and Yolo counties — all cannabis cultivation heartlands and home to multi-generational growers that are sending product to legal store shelves. SICPA stamps securely track and trace craft cannabis from the hills of the Emerald Triangle to the sales register.

Here’s California Cannabis Stores Stocking Authentic ‘Humboldt’ and Other Counties

SICPA-stamped herb has been dropped recently at these dispensaries:

Locate Your Nearest Dispensary on Leafly Finder!

Are we missing someone? Email California Editor David Downs at david.downs@leafly.com

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David Downs
David Downs
Leafly Senior Editor David Downs is the former Cannabis Editor of the San Francisco Chronicle. He's appeared on The Today Show, and written for Scientific American, The New York Times, WIRED, Rolling Stone, The Onion A/V Club, High Times, and many more outlets. He is a 2023 judge for The Emerald Cup, and has covered weed since 2009.
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