The first California State Fair marijuana competition is now open. Here’s how to join
The 2022 California State Fair and Food Festival’s first-ever cannabis competition is now open for submissions.
The competition, which is open to all licensed California cultivators, will be grouped by light source: indoor, mixed light and outdoor. And entries will be judged and ranked based on the total concentration of terpenes, cannabinoids and the ratio of the two, according to the California State Fair Cannabis Awards website.
Participants in the first state-sanctioned cannabis competition will be competing for more than 80 awards: bronze, silver, gold and double gold as well as Golden Bear trophies for the “Best of California” in each category.
The Cannabis Awards has been developed in partnership with Cal Expo and Cultivar Brands, a California-based cannabis marketing and events agency. The competition will showcase the role of the cannabis industry as a vital contributor to the California economy.
The newest category will accept large and small cultivators.
Cannabis will join other California product competitions like — wine, craft beer, olive oil and cheese — which have all been closed for submissions. The California State Fair is anticipating hundreds of submissions for the 2022 Cannabis Awards.
There will be no sales or consumption of cannabis products containing THC at the California State Fair in 2022. The 17 day-long event is set for July 15. to July 31 at the Cal Expo in Sacramento.
Here’s what you need to know about the competition and timeline, the price of entry and awards:
Division and categories
Cultivators can submit multiple cultivars in multiple divisions (indoor, mixed light and outdoor). Each division will have awards for nine cannabis compound categories and six terpenes: Myrcene, Caryophyllene, Limonene, Terpinolene, Pinene, and Ocimene, one co-dominant terpene profile, and two primary cannabinoids, THC and CBD.
Cannabinoids
Cannabinoids are a group of substances found in cannabis, according to the National Center for Commentary and Interactive Health. The main cannabinoids are THC and CBD but there are more than 100 others.
Terpenes
Terpenes are aromatic oils that color cannabis varieties with distinctive flavors like citrus, berry, mint and pine, according to Leafly. Terpenes may play a key role in differentiating the effects of various cannabis strains: relaxation, stress-relief, focus and acuity.
What to expect
Participants will submit their samples to the Science of Cannabis Labs and will be required to obtain their Certificate of Analysis through the SC Labs online portal. Opened in 2010 in Capitola, SC Labs is noted as developing the industry’s first testing standards.
Once inside its online portal, participants will check the box for “entry to the CA State Fair Cannabis Awards.”
Remember, you can submit multiple strains. SC Labs will test each cultivar for chemometric data using their cannabinoid and terpene reporting platform PhytoFacts.
The data report will be made into visualizations that identify:
- Chemical profile
- Dominant and proportional cannabinoids and terpenes
- Sensory attributes
- Potential entourage effects of the submitted sample
PhytoFacts allows for the accurate sorting of samples into major chemometric families and subcategories that highlight similar sensory and physiological properties. It helps identity aged, immature, or sub-standard cannabis while flagging unique outliers, according to Cal Expo’s official website.
Enter the California State Fair Cannabis Awards here.
Price of entry
Testing fee/SC labs Certificate of Analysis - $420
Submission fee for an individual cultivar: $250
Two cultivars - $225 each
Three cultivars - $220 each
Four cultivars - $210 each
Timeline of entry
Awards announcement - September 2021
Submissions open - November 2021
Submissions close - March 2022
Winners notified - May 2022
Promotional tour - June 2022
California State Fair and Awards Celebration - July 2022
Awards
Awards for the cannabis flower include medals for gold and silver in each division and category. Double gold will be awarded to those who place gold in two or more categories. Nine “Best of California” Golden Bear trophies will be given to the best all-around in each category, regardless of division. There will also be unique awards for cultivars that express rare or distinctive terpenes and cannabinoids.
Visit the Cannabis Awards official competition guide for more information on sample amounts, entry limitations, general rules, disqualifications and more.
This story was originally published November 9, 2021 at 10:11 AM.