Third Annual CA State Fair Cannabis Competition Announces Golden Bear Trophy Winners
July 29 2024 - 9:13AM
Business Wire
Nine Cannabis Products Crowned 2024's Best
in California in Categories Spanning Flower, Concentrates, Edibles
and More
The California State Fair Cannabis Awards announced the 2024
Golden Bear winners, recognizing the 'Best-of-California' from
cultivators and manufacturers across the state. More than 500
entries were evaluated as part of the State Fair’s expanded
‘California Cannabis Experience,’ a first-in-the-nation educational
exhibit featuring onsite cannabis sales, consumption and an awards
ceremony in partnership with FairPlay Ventures and California
cannabis retailer Embarc.
For nearly two centuries, the California State Fair has awarded
Golden Bears to the best of California agriculture, including wine,
craft beer, olive oil, and cheese. Beginning in 2022, cannabis was
added to the competition in recognition of its tremendous role in
the state’s diverse agricultural sector.
“The journey to cannabis consumption at the California State
Fair has spanned 170 years. It's been a challenging path for many,
but today we honor their work, their dreams and their craft,” said
Tom Martinez, CEO of the California State Fair, during Saturday’s
Oscars-style cannabis awards. “This ceremony stands as a tribute to
all those who came before us…my hope is that 170 years from now,
we’ll look back at 2024 and say, ‘This was the year the game
changed again.’”
In 2022 and 2023, the cannabis competition assessed flower
across indoor, mixed-light and outdoor categories. This year, the
fair expanded the competition to include nine categories—indoor,
mixed-light and outdoor flower, alongside concentrate, cartridge,
pre-roll, edible, beverage and wellness categories. Winners
include:
Category
Golden Bear Winner
Flower (Sungrown)
Pink Boost Goddess by Emerald Spirit
Botanicals
Flower (Mixed Light)
Lilac Diesel by Glass House Farms
Flower (Indoor)
New Jack City by Pure Beauty
Concentrates
Six Star Full Melt – Whitethorn Rose by Ay
Papi and Huckleberry Hill Farms
Cartridges
Lantz 100% Live Rosin Syrup by Arcata Fire
(Ridgeline Farms Collaboration)
Pre-Rolls
Whitethorn Rose Rosin by The Pairist
Edibles
CBD 1:1 by Space Gem
Beverages
Mandarin Tumeric Ginger Little Strong
Drink by Pure Beauty
Wellness
Hybrid X Tabs by KIKOKO
The full list of medal recipients can be found here.
Competition entries underwent rigorous scientific testing by
trusted laboratory SC Labs and blind tasting by Budist’s
professional judging panel—a group of cannabis connoisseurs who
reviewed and judged each product using its proprietary, 100-point
standardized rating system.
“We’re honored and privileged to serve as the official judging
platform for such a historic competition,” said Jocelyn Sheltraw,
CEO and Co-Founder of Budist. “These awards honor exceptional
craftsmanship and educate and engage consumers while paving the way
for cannabis to be appreciated as an artisanal product.”
The 2024 Golden Bear winners spanned the state but the beating
heart of the awards is rooted in legacy and craft producers. “As a
small, multi-generational farm from the heart of Mendocino County,
cultivating the highest-quality cannabis with mixed ratios of
cannabinoids in harmony with nature and spirit is our guiding
light,” explains Joseph Haggard of Golden Bear-winning producer
Emerald Spirit Botanicals. “We are so proud of our award-winning
cannabis and are grateful for this opportunity to honor the
importance of this plant and of environmental stewardship on such a
grand stage.”
To learn more about cannabis at the California State Fair, visit
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.
View source
version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240729004575/en/
Media Contact Leland Radovanovic Grasslands: A
Journalism-Minded Agency Leland@mygrasslands.com