Northern Nights will be the first major music festival to sell cannabis in dispensaries at the main stage.

In addition, the festival says its multiple onsite dispensaries for 2022 also will be a first for the summer festival circuit when the event goes down from July 15 to July 17, 2022 at Cook’s Valley Campground in Piercy on the border of Humboldt and Mendocino counties. 

The normalization of weed and music festivals is nothing new. The music industry was among the first to realize everyone was sneaking weed so they should just sell some themselves at the event and cash in. Over the years what that looks like has gotten friendlier and friendlier, and now weed is a regular at mega-events like Outside Lands in San Francisco, but some of the folks out in the desert are yet to catch up. Get Tiny @gettiny

Previously, Northern Nights was the first major festival to have cannabis sales, so the team is looking at this year’s effort as another step in pioneering the music-meets-cannabis space. This year, the original onsite dispensary, The Tree Lounge, will transition into more of a farmer’s market vibe. 

Organizers hope the new atmosphere for the country’s original festival dispensary will encourage attendees to stop by and enjoy a break with the legacy farmers of The Emerald Triangle. As we’ve noted regularly here at L.A. Weekly, small farmers are currently in dire straights. Any mechanism that can help them create value and get their name out there to the masses is a great thing. Festival organizers would argue these farmers helped pave the way for legalization across the country, and they aren’t wrong. 

While after the tunes the great local weed tends to be the star of the show, Northern Nights will be partnering with Movement Makers Retreats for a full lineup of yoga and wellness programs. Some of the scheduled events even feature cannabis-themed activities. In addition to the yoga classes, you can expect meditation and breathwork, sound bowls, community sharing, and education circles. Organizers note there will be other offerings fusing together teachings inspired by primal movement, dance and martial arts.

“Living a healthy and well life is more than working out or eating right,” says Movement Makers Retreats co-founder Nate Mezmer. Whatever that means. We must be able to take time to explore ourselves, to reconnect with body+mind and the natural environment. If you’re coming to Northern Nights, you can expect plenty of mindful movement offerings, along with a supportive community to help guide you on your journey.”

But the music remains the star of the show as Northern Nights continues to stack its lineup for 2022. So far this includes Dirtybird founder Claude VonStroke, South London producer TroyBoi, CloZee from France, The UK’s Elderbrook, and Los Angeles house producer SNBRN. Other names this year include bass music pioneer David Starfire, L.A.’s J. Worra, English music producer Khushi, and a whole bunch more in store. 

Don’t forget we’re giving away a VIP weekend to Northern Nights for you and one other person in their primo glamping setups. Go read our post about the contest to learn more. 



Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.