Points 
The Emerald Cup was the highlight of 2014 for many cannabis producers, consumers and enthusiasts. If you ask around, it’s pretty tough to hear many negatives about the organization, the planning, the execution and the atmosphere.
The Sonoma County Fairgrounds are a relaxed place to host an event, and Santa Rosa is a chilled out town about an hour north of San Francisco to the west of wine country. The fact that this classic event is hosted in California’s Wine Country was not lost on us here at the Smokers Guide. As we’ve been saying for decades, marijuana is as culturally relevant as grapes!
The fairgrounds provided plenty of ample parking for the many thousands of visitors. The queue for the tickets stretched for nearly a 100 meters! Many people apparently decided to purchase their tickets at the door even though they were cheaper to buy in advance from the website.
The price for one day was $50 and for the $90 for a two day pass. The entry price included all of the seminars, the expo and the music acts.
When we got through the gates and checked out the fairgrounds, it was nice to see such a diversity of people, including many families chilling outside of the medical area, meeting each other and enjoying the atmosphere.
MEDICAL MARIJUANA
If you were a medical marijuana patient, you were allowed entry into the MMJ area where free samples were being given away to anyone with a valid medical prescription.
There were medical advisers on hand to counsel prospective clients and doctors who were able to write recommendations for medical marijuana prescriptions on the spot. The
If you didn’t have a yellow “patient” ribbon, then you weren’t getting past the smiling guys who were controlling the gate. One we spoke to was a Vietnam vet, and quite a nice guy… with a strict door policy! ;)
The first booth we hit up was on our immediate left, hosted by the Sonoma County Collective. They had some of THE best shatter that we were lucky to sample. Fresh and clean with sour tones, this stuff was delicious and had our heads ringing…. Boing…boing….
Now as usual with events like this, you really have to pace yourself. If you get too faded in the beginning of the day then you have a hard time really judging the different effects.
We were luckily able to get moving to the next area where we found a variety of products including; flowers, solventless waxes, shatter, edibles, ointments and much more. There were CBD –only samples and there were incredible THC content strains.
THE EXPO
The expo vendors were really great, and the sheer diversity of products and services on offer was very inspiring. We came across great new products like iChief, the rolling tray/iPhone cover or Ras Boss, pendants that are wearable cannabis art. Uncle Stoner proudly sports one in some of our videos.
Old friends like Franco & Arjan from Greenhouse Seeds / Strainhunters , DJ Short, DNA Genetics / Reserva Privada were there and we met with great companies like Care by Design, SC Labs, Bhang Chocolates, Waxman, NorCal Genetics, California’s Finest, and many more too.
SEMINARS
There were some top-notch lectures for those who wanted a bit of cannabis education over the weekend. Everything from organic cannabis cultivation to medical marijuana policies was covered. One of our favorite weed gurus, Jorge Cervantes was there speaking to a packed auditorium. For more on the lectures, check out tv.smokersguide.com
MUNCHIES
One of the great things we loved about the Emerald Cup was the quality food on offer. Many organic choices, from Mexican to Italian and everything in between. Some of the food is about as fine as any we have sampled at an event like this. Thumbs up! There was also a really nice beer garden set up where some nice micro-brewery offerings were on tap. Many people were there, socializing and catching up on various sports scores from around the Bay Area.
THE PARTY
The night was filled with great music, loads of dabs and good company. The VIP area was bumping, and people were having a great time, as the night got later and later. The energy was positive and people were enjoying themselves to the fullest. There was a feeling of camaraderie and a bright future that permeates this Northern Californian cannabis movement. The Emerald Cup is one of the top examples of this green movement. The people involved with this event have been a part of the culture since long before it became a “Greenrush”. You sense that when you’re there. It’s real. Check it out.
