California's First Cannabis-Friendly State Fair With On-Site Sales And Consumption

For the first time in its 170-year history, the California State Fair at Cal Expo is pioneering on-site cannabis sales and consumption—a national first. Behind the scenes, past historical cannabis exhibits, the fair has set up a dedicated area where attendees can not only purchase cannabis products but also consume them on site.

Cannabis Expands At The California State Fair 

Organized in partnership with Embarc and Fair Play Ventures, the site includes a cannabis competition, continuing since 2022, but with a significant expansion this year. After discussions with growers and vendors, the fair has introduced an accessible area for cannabis consumption, which remains discrete to ensure a comfortable environment for all fairgoers.

“We’re making history. This has never happened at any state fair in the country,” said Dustin Moore, co-founder of Embarc, as reported by Courthouse News Service. 

Moreover, ensuring regulatory compliance has been a top priority. “We work really closely with regulators to ensure this is a strictly controlled environment,” stated Lauren Carpenter, Embarc's co-founder and CEO, in an interview with ABC10.

Read Also: The Best Of Weed: Meet The Winners Of The California State Fair Cannabis Awards 2024

Secluded Areas Promote Cannabis Normalization

The fairgrounds feature two main sites: a non-smoking area equipped with couches under protective coverings and a larger, designated smoking area still under construction. Both areas are secluded, shielding regular fair attendees from the cannabis sections, thereby aligning with the fair’s traditional atmosphere while promoting cannabis normalization.

Fairgrounds Champion Cannabis Education And Destigmatization

Despite its concealment from the general fair pathway, this effort is part of a broader aim to destigmatize cannabis use. David Hafner, media relations manager with the state Department of Cannabis Control, underscored its significance, telling Courthouse News Service, “Having it at the state fair is the next step.”

The exhibition hall for state fair attendees ages 21 and over features a blend of education and commercial engagement. It includes terpene-infused non-psychoactive slushies that mimic popular wine slushies, along with detailed educational displays about cannabis’s complex history and its intersection with culture and regulation.

Showcasing California's Cannabis Amid Industry Challenges

Despite robust sales, the landscape for the cannabis industry in California has been challenging, with sales slightly declining over the past years. Nevertheless, state projections remain optimistic, with projections for fiscal year 2024-25 reaching $727 million, according to Courthouse News Service.

As the fair will run until July 28 at Cal Expo in Sacramento, organizers are hopeful that the integration of cannabis will draw the public’s attention and foster a deeper understanding and acceptance of the plant as part of California’s cultural and economic fabric.

Read Next:

• Cannabis Leaders Convene In California As State Grapples With New Policy Changes

Cover image created with generative AI tools.

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