California State Fair To Include Cannabis Competition Next Summer, A First In Its 166-Year History

The California State Fair is adding a cannabis competition to its agricultural celebration for the first time ever in its 166-year history.

The CA State Fair Cannabis Competition and Awards represents “a watershed moment” for the cannabis community in California, Cultivar Brands' Brian Applegarth said on Tuesday, highlighting that they will focus on education and demystification of the plant.

The competition is open to all licensed growers in California and will award medals for the cannabis flower only, showcasing the primary cannabinoids and terpenes expressed in the cannabis flower.

“We are thrilled for California cannabis farmers to have a seat at the table,” Cultivar Brands co-founder/CEO James Leitz told Benzinga. “We will lead with cannabis flower for the inaugural awards, but our plan is to dive deeper in the coming years to recognize even more attributes of the plant, objectively through science and subjectively through judging.”

Classified into three groups, representing three primary divisions for submission by the light source, including indoor, mixed-light, and outdoor, the entrants will be awarded 77 bronze, silver, gold and double gold medals, including the Golden Bear trophy for “Best of California.”

CA State Fair will take place from July 10 to July 26, 2022, at the Cal Expo Fairgrounds in Sacramento, California. The submission deadline is from November 1, 2021, until March 30, 2022.

The competition will be scored objectively through science-based analysis performed and certified by SC Labs, the CA State Fair disclosed.

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