  the emerald triangle refers to a region in northern california which is named due to it being the largest cannabis producing region in the united states and the world. mendocino county, humboldt county, and trinity county are the three counties in northern california that make up this region. growers have been cultivating cannabis plants in this region since the 1960s (during san franciscos summer of love), and many growers in mendocino county today have estimated they make $1 billion a year from cultivating it. the industry exploded in the region with the passage of ca prop 215 which legalized use of cannabis for medicinal purposes in california. growing cannabis in the emerald triangle is considered a way of life, and the locals believe that everyone living in this region is either directly or indirectly reliant on the marijuana business. == population == the total population in the emerald triangle is 236,250 according to the 2010 census. the majority of the population is widely spread throughout the woody hills that make up the area. in this sparsely populated region, only the city of eureka has an urban area approaching 50,000 people. the second and third largest cities, by far larger than any other cities in the region, are arcata, with 17,231 people, and ukiah, with 16,075 people. == see also ==  == notes ==  
Cannabis_in_California Geography_of_Mendocino_County,_California History_of_Humboldt_County,_California Regions_of_California