Known for regularly pioneering cannabis and festivals, Northern Nights Music Festival is doing it again this year with an official strain for its 10th Anniversary. 

Being in the heart of The Emerald Triangle in Humboldt County was always going to make the weekend pretty green, but the festival has really taken its geography to heart over the years. In 2019, Northern Nights was the first music festival to have legal sales and consumption at the event. Last year they upped it a notch with dispensaries at multiple stages so you could still enjoy the tunes while you waited for your weed. 

The festival argues, reasonably, it is continuing that innovation this year by becoming the first festival to create its own strain via a collaboration with Humboldt Seed Company (HSC). 

“The new “Northern Nights” strain furthers the commitment of the organizers to revolutionize the ways that cannabis culture can be showcased in a music festival format while supporting local curators,” festival organizers noted when announcing the strain. Press7 @storiesbysay

According to Northern Nights, it has been a multi-year process collaborating on this strain with HSC. The offering will be available in seed form for locals to grow on their own, and there will be some flower samples going around, too. 

“The fusion of world-renowned cannabis and elite dance music is something you can only find at Northern Nights Festival. It’s an honor to provide this exclusive cultivar to our extended family at Northern Nights,” Humboldt Seed Company Product Executive Halle Pennington told L.A. Weekly, “We’ve sifted through thousands of unique strain combinations and shared visions to land on this highly curated genetic that we’re thrilled to share at such an amazing event. When two Humboldt legacies meet magic can definitely happen. We can’t wait to be back on the dance floor with our community and enjoy the Northern Nights!” 

Organizers emphasized Northern Nights’ Tree Lounge will be the only place you will be able to consume this very limited batch of Emerald Triangle products. The festival calls the Tree Lounge the event’s cannabis experience, but the whole thing is wildly chiller than some festivals on federal or county lands with law enforcement literally sniffing their way around. There are few music events where you’ll feel more comfortable smoking anywhere, but make sure to be careful in the Redwoods regardless of how wet it has been this year. The Tree Lounge is getting moved to the center of the festival this year. 

The idea of selling weed in the heart of cannabis country may sound wild, but it makes a lot of sense. Not only do the brands participating in the festival flip some products, but as times get darker and darker for cannabis, it’s all about who you know. The event can serve as a great networking opportunity for cannabis people taking part that don’t mind a little all-night psychedelic fun between joints. 

Another reason it’s a good move? People don’t want to smoke the same weed all the time. Sure there is the “I only smoke my own shit” crowd, but the vast majority of people seem to like trying a diverse array of flavors. That means, just because someone has 20 pounds at home doesn’t necessarily mean they won’t buy an eighth of something they found interesting.

In addition to all the cannabis stuff and cool giant trees, the festival is generally a great time. It will take Cook’s Valley Campground from July 14 to July 16 deep in the Redwoods. The lineup so far includes Big Gigantic, G Jones, Mura Masa, TOKiMONSTA, Dr. Fresch, Bipolar Sunshine, Coco & Breezy, Nala, Elephant Heart, Night Tales, Daily Bread, Mary Droppinz, Random Rab, Forester, Megan Hamilton, EAZYBAKED, Moontricks, Dos, Lapa, and More

Tickets are on sale now. 

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