From the Faces of Cannabis lounge to the Golden Bear Awards, Fat Nugs Magazine captured the people, the passion, and the plant at the only state fair in the world where cannabis is celebrated out in the open.
A Lounge, a Lens, and a Whole Lot of Love
There are moments in cannabis history that mark a real shift. Not some stunt, not a headline, but an honest-to-goodness cultural pivot. The 2025 California State Fair was one of those moments. And if you weren’t there, believe me, you missed something historic.
Fat Nugs Magazine showed up as deep as we possibly could with all 14 of us from the team live and in person for the first time at any event. Our massive booth wasn’t just a setup; it was a sanctuary. A lounge for real conversations, raw moments, and rolled-up connections. We created space for people to chill, breathe, and share in the plant without pretension. And luckily, we were right next to a giant water-cooled fan, because that 100-degree weather in Sacramento is no joke!
Our activation was the Faces of Cannabis photo booth, which is a black-and-white portrait series dedicated to showcasing all the different people who consume cannabis. It’s sort of a love letter to the industry and the plant all rolled into one. What came out of it wasn’t just some content; it was emotion, visibility, and pride. Watching people’s faces light up in amazement after seeing themselves reflected in this beautiful cultural moment is why we do what we do!
From State Fair Legacy to Cannabis Culture Milestone
To fully grasp how special this was, you’ve got to appreciate where it happened. The California State Fair, founded in 1854, has long been a place to showcase the best of the Golden State from its agriculture, its food, its livestock, to its innovation. But never in its 170-year history had cannabis been given a place at the table, until now.
Thanks to the vision of fearless advocates, the Fair has evolved to include a fully integrated Cannabis Experience area, where adults can legally purchase and consume cannabis onsite. This isn’t just a novelty; it’s a bold statement of normalization, in a space traditionally reserved for apple pie Americana. It’s proof that cannabis is California, and it deserves to be celebrated just as proudly.
In one of the weekend’s most powerful and emotional moments, Dan Herer took the stage to honor his late father, the legendary Jack Herer, who has been one of the most influential figures in cannabis through his activism and advocacy. Hearing Dan speak about Jack’s legacy, surrounded by cannabis professionals at a state-sanctioned public event felt surreal and sacred. A full-circle moment decades in the making. And we felt lucky to be a part of the moment.
Honoring Craft: The Golden Bear Awards
For the second year in a row, I had the privilege of presenting the Golden Bear Award for Best Preroll, and it went to Sonoma Hills Farm for their Pink Jesus Hash Hole. Luckily, I got a chance to smoke one of those hash holes with a few Budist and Ganjiers, along with Sara Payan and Jeff Pehrson, the night before. It was smooth, clean, extremely flavorful, rolled perfectly with a glass tip, and absolutely worthy of the win.
And let’s give flowers to all of this year’s Golden Bear Award winners:
- Casa Flor x Holy Water
- Ridgeline Farms
- Cam
- Papa and Barkley
- Almora
- Ay Papi
- Emerald Spirit Botanicals.
These brands embody the best of California cannabis from terpene-forward flavor to community-rooted values.
The awards themselves carry serious weight. California is the birthplace of medical cannabis, and the California Cannabis Awards are a way to honor not just great products, but decades of legacy, love, and labor from the farmers and brands who paved the way.
Leading the Way: Embarc and the Architects of Normalization
None of this, and I mean none of it, would’ve happened without Lauren Carpenter, Dustin Moore, Courtney Zalewski, and the entire team at Embarc. It was obvious that they poured their souls into the Cannabis Experience area, and the result was breathtaking.
It wasn’t just beautiful, it was meaningful. This was intentional design meeting passionate execution, and it raised the standard for what cannabis at a mainstream event can look like. Embarc didn’t just coordinate; they championed normalization, and they hit it out of the damn park!
They didn’t have to do this. But they knew how important it was, not just for today, but for the future of legalization, regulation, and real public acceptance. They sacrificed, they led, and they delivered something unforgettable.
Special thanks as well to James Leitz, J-Mac, and the entire Cal Expo team, who worked tirelessly to build out this space and make it feel not just welcoming but celebrated.
Pressure Creates Diamonds: Rachelle Gordon’s Poise Under Fire
When the awards ceremony hit technical snags, Rachelle Gordon didn’t flinch. Hosting for the second year in a row, she embodied professionalism and wit under pressure. That kind of calmness in chaos doesn’t just make a show run; it elevates the entire experience and helps to put all the other participants, especially the presenters, at ease. Shoutout to her for being the familiar glue that holds the show together!
Let’s also not forget the people working booths in triple-digit heat with most of them grinding in 108-degree conditions, still smiling, still educating, still pushing cannabis forward. That kind of commitment doesn’t come from just a paycheck. It comes from love. And it’s a reminder that cannabis professionals are cut from a different cloth.
Community Is the Culture
For all the glamor and the gear (even if it was all sweaty), what truly stuck with me was the community. This work, this grind, happens mostly behind screens. But here, at the California State Fair, in the middle of the unrelenting Sacramento heat, we remembered why we got into this in the first place. It’s about shared joints, belly laughs, swapped stories, and lifted spirits. It’s about standing in a crowd of people who love the plant as much as you do and knowing you’re not alone.
So yeah, if you missed the 2025 California State Fair, you missed something unforgettable. You missed one-of-a-kind moments, generational talent, and cannabis being celebrated the way it should be – out loud, out front, and with nothing to hide.
But luckily for you, it’ll be back. So put it on the calendar now, because this wasn’t just an event. It was a movement, a moment, and a must-attend if you’re in the cannabis industry. We’ll see you there in 2026 with our cameras ready, joints rolled, and hearts open!
