Here's everything you need to know about cannabis consumption at the 2024 California State Fair
"We're literally making history at the California State Fair."
"We're literally making history at the California State Fair."
"We're literally making history at the California State Fair."
The budding cannabis industry hit a major milestone this July in Sacramento, joining forces with a major event.
The 2024 California State Fair became the first state-sanctioned fair to integrate cannabis sales and consumption on-site.
Embarc, one of California's major cannabis retailers and event specialists, was a big part of making this happen.
"We're literally making history at the California State Fair," Lauren Carpenter, founder and CEO of Embarc, said on Sunday. "Beginning today, you can both purchase and consume cannabis on-site. This is the first time this has happened at any state fair in the world."
It's the third year the state fair has included a cannabis exhibit, but the first time consumption has been allowed.
"This is just another step in the socialization and normalization of cannabis, which is great," said David Hafner of the Department of Cannabis Control. "As regulators, we love to see this."
"This has been a multi-year journey," Carpenter said. "By adding sales and consumption, we're making it more of an immersive, 360-degree experience."
How to get to the cannabis consumption lounge at the California State Fair
The consumption tent is tucked away, a private space under a large tent for people age 21 and older to consume edibles and inhalables.
There are a couple of ways to access the area.
The most interactive and educational way to access the area is by going through the exhibit space labeled "CA Cannabis Exhibit," building six in the fair's Exhibit Hall. Visitors ages 21 and older are required to scan their ID before walking through an educational exhibit that explains the history of cannabis in California and some of the important players. Once past that walkthrough, there is a small lounge where attendees can buy CBD slushies, purchase some merchandise from vendors and play interactive games with exhibitors.
In a door at the back of the exhibit, visitors can walk outside to an area where edibles are for sale. Edibles and drinks can be consumed in this area. However, no smoking is allowed.
In the back corner, those guests looking to venture to the area where inhalable products can be used can exit and make a short walk to the entrance to the inhalable tent. While exiting the sales area, all items need to be sealed. If there is an unsealed package, exhibitors are able to reseal the product.
Visitors must go through security and there's another walking path that will go to the consumption area. It does include quite a bit of walking, but that walk also brings the added benefit of extra privacy for the patrons.
"The consumption area is very far and distinct from the rest of the fair," Carpenter said. "We've spent about a year now working with regulatory agencies, the police department, Cal Expo, the California State Fair and just about everybody else that you can imagine, making sure that this space has been designed and executed in a way that is, you know, community sensitive and appropriate, appreciating that it's a family-friendly event."
You can also skip the exhibit and sale area and head directly to the consumption lounge. The vendor Cookies has some products for sale in the consumption area. Just be aware no outside cannabis will be permitted to enter the fairgrounds.
Any cannabis purchased at the fair can be saved for use at home. But it must be sealed if it's in any area inside the fairgrounds outside of the designated area.
The sales and consumption are open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. throughout the fair, except for July 19.
Here's a list of additional frequently asked questions for those looking to attend.
Vendors inside the California Cannabis Exhibit
The "budtenders" are very welcoming and knowledgeable about the product as well as the history of cannabis.
One side of the sale area features the Legacy market, which honors the tumultuous history of cannabis and the path to legalization.
Ramon Garcia worked in the Legacy tent, representing Equity Trade Network.
"The Legacy Market represents the history and culture behind California cannabis. So these were operators that were operating before actual legalization," Garcia said. "Maybe they were subject to the failed war on drugs policies or were arrested for this before. Now, coming together on one of the biggest platforms at the state fair."
The products for sale also include winners of the California Cannabis Competition Award. All of the winners were selected by judges, experts and connoisseurs, and the flower categories were also subject to potency tests.
It's a joint effort: Safety measures
Making the consumption lounge happen safely involved a lot of collaboration across different departments.
In fact, the opening of the lounge was delayed on the first day by a few hours due to safety measures.
The opening, set for 11 a.m., happened just after 1 p.m. on July 14 because fire retardant was sprayed in the lounge to cut down on fire risk and on Sunday morning the lower temperatures meant it took longer to dry.
"We have regulators at every level governing every aspect of what we're doing here," Carpenter said. "We've been working in close collaboration with them for many, many months to bring this to fruition."
"They've done all the proper compliance work that's needed to be done and they're putting on a great event," Hafner said. "Our compliance team works with the event people, organizers, to make sure that all the regulations are going to be followed during the event."
The list of collaborators includes, but is not limited to, the Cal Expo Police Department, local and state cannabis regulators and the fire marshal.
"We've designed it to look like a palace. Our hope is that it is warm and inviting and beautiful in a really functional space," Carpenter said. "But also to function as a fortress. So it's completely enclosed from the rest of the fair with visibility blocked off and with security cameras and redundant measures to ensure we're protecting public health and safety."
Flower to the people: From the attendee's point of view
A number of attendees from near and far stopped in the consumption lounge on Sunday, eager to take part in history.
Jasmine Stevens and Alfred Torregano, who own a dispensary called Space Flyt, traveled to the fair from Los Angeles.
"It's super historic," Torregano said. "The exhibit was amazing, very educational, touched on all of the key points and topics that people should know about cannabis. You know, the history about it. Really enjoyed that. The consumption area where you can purchase your cannabis and consume your cannabis, I believe that's a beautiful thing and super inspiring."
"You're bringing it to people who don't see this regularly and teaching them about the history and the different type of brands that they have," Stevens said. "If they wanted to purchase they can and consume, all safely in a way. I just think it's really good to see it and it's the first of its kind, so I hope to see more of it."
Walter Vargas and Maudi Munoz from Sacramento spent some time in the consumption lounge. Vargas smoked while Munoz did not, but both enjoyed taking a break from the heat and being on their feet.
"It's kind of cool being able to come to the fair, and if you want to smoke, just come out to chill for a little bit, then go back out in the fair a bit. It's an opening of a door for pot smokers," Vargas said. "This is totally cool. I was telling her, it's only California."
Vargas thought the sales and consumption would be a big draw for people outside of the city to come to the state fair.
"If you like pot smoking, definitely yes," Vargas told KCRA 3 when asked if people outside of the area should visit the state fair. "You're not going to be able to do it anywhere else."
Growing like a weed: What this could mean going forward
Even before the sales and consumption of cannabis began at the California State Fair, it piqued the interest of entities outside of the state.
"Many a fair at the state and local level have already given us a call, saying, 'Hey, I heard what you're doing. How are you doing that? Tell us more.' So I think this is the beginning of a continued effort to normalize and de-stigmatize cannabis in a responsible way," Carpenter said.
She hopes that the educational aspect will help those attending the fair spread more information about cannabis.
"This is the future. We are standing in the future," Carpenter said. "Integrating cannabis in this way, in a responsible and safe way, is the future of events. Data has shown that more and more folks are at least curious about cannabis and about consuming cannabis, and I think it's in demographics that a lot of people would be surprised by. It's your friends and your neighbors and your parents and maybe even your grandparents that are tasting cannabis now."
A big part of the future also rests on the shoulders of those attending the fair.
"What we've intended to do is create a space that's welcoming for all over the age of 21, knowing that a lot of folks are going to return to their communities since so many people travel to this fair, and it's going to open up the dialogue there about cannabis. What can safe, responsible cannabis look like in our communities," Carpenter said.
The goal is for sales and consumption to continue to flourish at the California State Fair.
"It's my hope that in doing this and setting a standard, we will continue to get better each year, and we will continue to see this grow," Carpenter said.