The first state fair to feature cannabis was Oregon back in 2016 when the Oregon State Fair hosted a cannabis plant competition. However, cannabis sales and consumption remained prohibited at the 2016 event in Oregon, and the event has long ceased to occur.
This year’s California State Fair also features a cannabis competition, and organizers announced this week that the California State Fair Cannabis Competition will feature on-site sales and consumption, a first in the United States.
“Hosting cannabis sales and consumption is a groundbreaking milestone in destigmatization by facilitating a deeper connection between consumers and the farmers who cultivate their products with such care,” said Lauren Carpenter, Co-Founder of Embarc, the fair’s partner in facilitating onsite sales and consumption. “Joining James Leitz, pioneer of the educational exhibit and competition for the past two years, on an expanded competition and experiential dispensary is a major step forward for responsible normalization.”
“This initiative spotlights the significant role of cannabis in California’s agricultural industry, marking a major milestone in the state fair’s 170-year history,” said James Leitz, Executive Producer of the Cannabis Competition and Exhibit. “Expanding the competition to include all form factors and providing patrons the opportunity to directly engage with and consume winning brands is transformational for public understanding of the plant.”
“As part of this commitment to consumer education and awareness, this year’s cannabis competition was expanded to include product categories for pre-rolls, concentrates, cartridges, edibles, beverages and wellness products in addition to flower, enhancing the science-based testing with additional judging by a panel of experts. With more than 500 entries—double the number compared to last year—the California State Fair Cannabis Awards is the largest state-sanctioned cannabis competition of its kind.” Embarc stated in a press release.
“The California State Fair took a historic leadership position in 2022 with the introduction of a cannabis exhibit and competition,” said Tom Martinez, CEO of the California State Fair. “This year, we’ve expanded our offerings to include onsite sales and consumption in a designated area to provide a platform to amplify California’s rich agricultural bounty and facilitate storytelling for farmers from diverse backgrounds and experiences. We have partnered with the City of Sacramento, the State of California, James Leitz and Embarc—alongside our robust onsite public health and safety infrastructure—to ensure a responsible and community-sensitive event. We look forward to welcoming visitors from across the state and beyond to this informative experience.”
The United States adult-use cannabis industry has generated over $20 billion in total tax revenue since the first legal recreational cannabis purchase was made in Colorado on January 1st, 2014 according to a report by the Marijuana Policy Project.
“Through the first quarter of 2024, states have reported a combined total of more than $20 billion in tax revenue from legal, adult-use cannabis sales. In 2023 alone, legalization states generated more than $4 billion in cannabis tax revenue from adult-use sales, which is the most revenue generated by cannabis sales in a single year.” the Marijuana Policy Project stated in a press release.
79% of people living in the United States lived in a county with at least one regulated cannabis dispensary according to an analysis by the Pew Research Center. The Pew Research Center also found the following:
- 74% of people in the U.S. live in a state where recreational or medical cannabis is legal
- There are nearly 15,000 cannabis dispensaries in the U.S.
- California has the most overall dispensaries (3,659)
- Oklahoma has the most dispensaries per capita (36 dispensaries for every 100,000 residents)
Total legal cannabis sales in the United States are expected to reach $31.4 billion in 2024 according to a recent analysis by Whitney Economics. Additionally, leading cannabis jobs platform Vangst, in conjunction with Whitney Economics, estimates that the legal cannabis industry now supports 440,445 full time-equivalent cannabis jobs in the United States.
Whitney Economics also projects the following legal cannabis sales figures in the United States for the coming years:
- 2024: $31.4 billion (9.1% growth from 2023)
- 2025: $35.2 billion (12.1% growth from 2024)
- 2030: $67.2 billion
- 2035: $87.0 billion
The emerging legal cannabis industry in the United States is projected to add roughly $112 billion to the nation’s economy in 2024 according to an analysis by MJBiz Daily. The projection is part of the company’s 2024 MJBiz Factbook.
“The total U.S. economic impact generated by regulated marijuana sales could top $112.4 billion in 2024, about 12% more than last year,” MJBiz stated in its initial reporting.