Cannabis Experience provides education — and samples — at California State Fair
From homegrown to the green carpet, cannabis industry leaders on Saturday won nine top honors at the California State Fair’s cannabis awards ceremony.
In all, 150 medals were awarded including nine Golden Bears - the highest award for each of the nine categories that included sungrown products, pre-rolls, edibles, beverages and wellness products.
Ay Papi, of La Habra in Orange County, brought home two Golden Bear trophies in the edibles and concentrate categories, which was a pleasant surprise for company founder Justin Lee.
“It’s just a testament to the farms that we work with,” he said. “Without them providing us the quality of material and their legacy strains, we wouldn’t be able to even put out an express hash or any type of concentrates or edibles of this quality.”
The annual competition and showcase, called California Cannabis Experience, was sponsored by Embarc, a Sacramento dispensary. The event provides information on the history of cannabis and its usages through educational banners, booths and seminars.
Tim Martinez, CEO of the fair, said California’s is the only state fair in the country to feature an onsite educational exhibit and cannabis competition alongside sales and consumption.
For the second year in a row, fair-goers can purchase and consume California-based cannabis goods onsite, including products from many of the medalists and Golden Bear award winners.
“For us, it’s more than just cannabis. It really is just (about) teaching a balanced lifestyle,” said Gisel Rodriguez, marketing manager of California Artisanal Medicine of Sacramento.
Rodriguez said Saturday’s awards ceremony and the exhibit itself is a perfect opportunity to break stigmas around cannabis. “Not often are we getting to educate the consumers that are curious but not curious enough to go into the dispensary, “ she said.
The list of nine categories and Golden Bear winners include:
▪ Flower (Sungrown): Pink Boost Goddess by Emerald Spirit Botanicals.
▪ Flower (Mixed Light): Blueberry Caviar by Ridgeline Farms.
▪ Flower (Indoor): Super Silver Haze by California Artisanal Medicine.
▪ Concentrates: Sour Papi Diesel by Ay Papi, Mattole Valley Sungrown, Canyon Creek Family Farms and My Green Network.
▪ Cartridges: Live Resin Disposable Pens Agua Fresca by Casa Flor Family and Holy Water.
▪ Pre-Rolls: Pink Jesus Hash Holes by Sonoma Hills Farm.
▪ Edibles: Whitehorn Rose (Paradise Punch x Lemon OG) Single Origin Live Rosin Infused Gummies by Ay Papi and Huckleberry Hill Farms
▪ Beverages: Whitethorn Rose Pomberry Lemonade by Almora Farm
▪ Wellness: Sleep CBD/THC/CBN by Papa & Barkley
Judges reviewed each entry on a standardized 100-point rating system, assessing aroma, flavor, appearance and experience. Flower products were scientifically assessed through SC Labs.
“Much like wine is tested under a similar system, they’re taking those same best practices and applying them to cannabis, so that we can ensure that we’re being both objective and subjective,” said Lauren Carpenter, CEO and co-founder of Embarc.
“We’re also testing for unique profiles, because this is an agricultural competition, so we’re really looking at the agricultural component of what farmers have been able to express with this plant,” Carpenter said.
This year’s cannabis experience and awards competition recently added blunts, hash and chocolates to its roster of subcategories for a total of 50.
the cannabis competition was added to Sacramento’s fairgrounds in 2022, becoming the first such state-sanctioned event. It joins traditional agricultural industries like wines, cheeses and olive oils.
“We’re recognizing that this plant is science and art, and it’s the combination of those two things,” Carpenter said.
To Golden Bear winner Joseph Haggard, co-founder of Emerald Spirit Botanicals of Willits, being recognized at the fair is a big honor.
“It also helps to bring out some of the small family craft cultivators like myself, and put us up against some of the larger cannabis companies,” Haggard said.
Fairgoers ages 21 and up can enter the exhibit, and must present a valid government ID. All cannabis sales end before 9 p.m. in accordance with local regulations.
The cannabis exhibit runs until July 27 and is open during regular fair hours from 4 to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday through Sunday.
This story was originally published July 14, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
