SACRAMENTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--For the past two years, cannabis has claimed its rightful place at the California State Fair through an educational exhibit and cannabis competition as part of the State Fair’s highly coveted Golden Bear Awards. This year, the activation transformed into a fully immersive experience with the addition of onsite sales and consumption alongside an expanded competition and awards ceremony recognizing the diversity of California’s cannabis landscape and allowing Fairgoers over the age of 21 to try many of the award winners.
Approximately 80 of California’s best brands—including more than half from craft, legacy and social equity operators— are being sold onsite through the Embarc dispensary to create a 360° activation that enhances the existing education and advocacy platform at the California Cannabis Experience.
Much like Fair attendees themselves, participating brands come from all over California, and in one instance, from all over the world. “We are thrilled to have partnered with Cookies—the most recognized cannabis brand on the planet—to bring the cannabis consumption lounge to life,” says James Leitz, co-producer of the California State Fair Cannabis Experience and Awards.
At this year’s State Fair, attendees can enjoy an educational exhibit and have an opportunity to meet various farmers, brands, industry associations and regulatory bodies. After viewing the cannabis exhibit, attendees can explore the Embarc Oasis—the new onsite sales and non-inhalable consumption area—before heading to the Consumption Garden featuring the Cookies Lounge and the Craft Stage, which offers daily programming ranging from educational panels and discussions to performances by DJs and musicians.
"I have so much love for Sacramento and am excited to bring Cookies to the California State Fair,” said Berner, Co-Founder and CEO of Cookies. “We are proud to partner with Embarc to deliver an incredible experience and offer new fire products to our loyal fans who have always shown up for Cookies.”
In addition to globally recognized brands like Cookies, participating brands also include dozens of craft, legacy and social equity operators including many from Sacramento, home to the California State Fair. “As a Sacramento native and legacy operator, I am excited to have this event in my city,” says Kevin Hooks Jr., Founder and CEO of Sacramento’s Ellis Greens. “The ability to purchase and consume at the State Fair is groundbreaking, and doing so alongside other operators who share similar experiences to get here is a huge accomplishment for our industry.”
The California State Fair Cannabis Competition has expanded beyond flower for the first time this year to include product categories for pre-rolls, concentrates, cartridges, edibles, beverages, wellness products and more. Judging included testing by SC Labs—returning for its third year as a trusted, science-based laboratory testing partner—and a team of third-party critics from the social review platform Budist.
Medal winners in each of the 44 cannabis sub-categories are now vying for 9 prestigious Golden Bear Awards, which were determined by Budist’s panel of judges and will be announced at a private, seated awards show on July 27. The awards ceremony is being executed in partnership with GreenState, FairPlay Ventures, Nabis, Treez and CCell.
To learn more about cannabis at the California State Fair, visit https://castatefaircannabisawards.com.
About Embarc
Embarc is one of California’s fastest-growing cannabis retailers, with a family of 15 dispensaries and nearly a dozen more in development, all earned through merit-based licensing. Founded in 2019, Embarc prides itself on being customer-obsessed and community-minded. Each location functions as a natural extension of its neighborhood, offering a hand-curated selection of products and contributing 1% of all sales directly back into the local community. Embarc is also California’s leading cannabis event concessionaire, providing adults with safe access to high-quality cannabis products at music festivals and live events. For more information, visit goembarc.com.
