CULTURE

Cannabis in Culture

Cannabis culture reflects how people relate to a plant through law, language, ritual, media, travel, and everyday life. Across time and place, cannabis has been shaped by social systems, cultural values, and human interpretation.

At Golden Apple: The Experience, cannabis is presented as a cultural subject explored through context rather than trend. The goal is to help visitors understand how cannabis exists within society, not just how it is consumed.

This page highlights organizations, publications, and institutions that help define modern cannabis culture. For an overview of how Golden Apple approaches cannabis learning in a physical space, visit the About the Experience page. Visitors seeking deeper explanations of chemovars, terpenes, plant anatomy, and cannabis constituents can continue learning through Education.

Advocacy and Cannabis Policy

Advocacy has played a critical role in shaping contemporary cannabis understanding and access. This broader context supports the educational mission described in our About the Experience page. The organizations below focus on patient rights, sensible policy, social justice, and reform grounded in evidence and lived experience.

Advocacy Organizations

Americans for Safe Access
Advocates for safe and legal access to cannabis for patients through policy reform, patient education, and research.
https://www.safeaccessnow.org/

Students for Sensible Drug Policy
A youth-led network working to end the harms of drug prohibition through education and advocacy.
https://ssdp.org/

Marijuana Policy Project
A leading organization advancing cannabis policy reform at the state and federal level.
https://www.mpp.org/

Coltyn’s Cure
Highlights personal stories and advocacy related to cannabis access and policy reform.
https://www.coltynscrue.org/

International Association for Cannabinoid Medicines
Advances research and education related to cannabinoid science and medicine.
https://cannabis-med.org/

Last Prisoner Project
Works toward criminal justice reform by supporting individuals incarcerated for cannabis-related offenses.
https://www.lastprisonerproject.org

NORML
A long-standing organization dedicated to cannabis law reform and responsible policy education.
https://norml.org

California NORML
Focused on cannabis policy reform and education within California.
https://www.canorml.org/

Drug Policy Alliance
Addresses drug policy through public health, racial justice, and harm reduction perspectives.
https://engage.drugpolicy.org/

ACLU
Addresses civil rights issues connected to drug enforcement and mass incarceration.
https://action.aclu.org/

Law Enforcement Action Partnership
Current and former law enforcement professionals advocating for evidence-based drug policy reform.
https://lawenforcementactionpartnership.org/

Doctors for Drug Policy Reform
A medical and scientific voice supporting drug policy reform grounded in research and public health.
https://www.d4dpr.org/

Cannabis Culture and Professional Standards

As legalization has evolved, new cultural institutions and professional frameworks have emerged. These organizations focus on elevating cannabis knowledge, language, and standards.

Professional and Cultural Institutions

The Budist
An editorial publication exploring cannabis culture, travel, food, and lifestyle through a global lens.
https://www.budist.com/

Ganjier
A professional education and certification program developing shared standards for cannabis quality, aroma, and evaluation.
https://www.ganjier.com/

Cannabis Competitions and Recognition

Competitions influence how cannabis quality and craftsmanship are discussed. While not definitive measures, they help shape cultural conversations around cultivation and evaluation.

California Cannabis Awards
A regional competition highlighting cannabis cultivators and products within California.
https://calcannabisawards.com/

Cannabis, Travel, and Place

Cannabis culture is increasingly expressed through travel, place, and experience. As cannabis becomes part of broader lifestyle conversations, travel-focused platforms explore how education, culture, and regional identity intersect.

Golden Apple: The Experience is part of this emerging landscape. As a destination rooted in learning and cultural interpretation, it reflects how cannabis spaces are evolving beyond retail into places of exploration, context, and connection.

Higherway Travel
A travel publication highlighting destinations and experiences connected to cannabis culture around the world.
https://www.higherwaytravel.com/

Cannabis Media and Storytelling

Media plays a central role in shaping how cannabis is perceived and discussed. These outlets contribute to journalism, storytelling, and cultural framing.

Leaf Magazine
An independent publication covering cannabis culture, people, and places.
https://leafmagazines.com/

High Times
A historically influential publication in cannabis counterculture and media.
https://hightimes.com/

Cannabis News and Policy Coverage

Reliable reporting helps contextualize cannabis within modern governance, economics, and public discourse.

Marijuana Moment
Focused on cannabis policy, legislation, and political developments.
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/

CalMatters
A California-based nonprofit newsroom covering policy and regulation, including cannabis legislation.
https://calmatters.org/

Books and Foundational Reading

Books have played a critical role in shaping how cannabis has been studied, documented, and understood across cultures and disciplines. The titles below are frequently referenced within cannabis education, ethnobotany, cultivation, and policy history. They provide deeper context for many of the themes explored at Golden Apple: The Experience.

Context Matters

These organizations and publications represent only a portion of the voices shaping cannabis culture today. Together, they illustrate how cannabis intersects with policy, science, justice, creativity, and media.

Golden Apple: The Experience encourages guests to explore these perspectives, engage critically, and understand cannabis as a plant shaped by human systems as much as biology.