california cannabis Awards crowned nine Golden Bear winners at the California State Fair on July 18, and organized a public tribute for the 30th anniversary of Proposition 215. The fifth annual California Cannabis Awards delivered trophies across flower, concentrates, edibles, beverages, wellness products, pre-rolls and vape cartridges. Organizers said a panel of expert judges, working with testing and analytics partners Budist and SC Labs, evaluated entries before selecting winners.
Event organizers hosted the awards inside the California Cannabis Experience, a curated retail and educational activation running through the State Fair. The awards ceremony recognized nine Golden Bear winners and included a group award that honored activists, patients and caregivers who led the 1996 campaign for medical cannabis access in California.
Key winners and categories – Sun Grown Flower: Greenshock Farms — Pink Rider – Mixed Light Flower: Ridgeline Farms — Blueberry Caviar – Indoor Flower: Wood Wide — Woodzy – Pre-Rolls: One of a Kind x Joy Ridge Farms — Dutch Treat – Cartridges: Moon Valley Cannabis — Neon Panther Live Rosin – All-in-One Concentrates (Ice Water Hash): Moon Valley Cannabis — Neon Panther Ice Water Hash – Edibles: Emerald Sky — Blue Dream Live Rosin – Beverages: St. Ides — Lychee Pear High Tea – Wellness: Emerald Bay Extracts — Super Lemon Haze RSO Tablets
Ridgeline Farms founder Jason Gellman received the Golden Bear for Mixed Light Flower with his Blueberry Caviar entry, repeating a 2025 win for the same variety. Gellman described the award as recognition for growers who preserved plant genetics and traditional cultivation techniques in regions such as Humboldt County.
Judging and standards Organizers reported that entries underwent tiered evaluation: sensory panels for aroma and flavor, lab testing for potency and contaminants, and consistency checks for packaging and labeling. California Cannabis Awards producer James Leitz said the partnership with SC Labs and Budist allowed judges to compare cannabinoid and terpene profiles alongside consumer-facing assessments.
“The field this year included established brands and smaller farms; lab data and blind tasting scores narrowed a competitive pool to these winners,” said Lauren Carpenter, CEO of embarc and co-producer of the awards. Carpenter noted judges prioritized clear labeling, accurate potency claims and clean test results when choosing winners.
30th anniversary of Prop 215 The ceremony included a collective Pebbles Trippet Lifetime Achievement Award presented to dozens of activists, patients and caregivers who campaigned for Proposition 215, the Compassionate Use Act that voters approved in 1996. Organizers said roughly 30 individuals and groups accepted the award on stage, marking three decades since the ballot measure created legal protection for medical cannabis patients in California.
James Leitz framed the tribute as recognition of the direct link between the 1996 vote and the current regulated market: Prop 215 opened legal space for patient access, which later influenced local and state policy changes that allowed licensed cultivation and retail. The awards program scheduled additional State Fair events tied to consumer participation: an inaugural Home Grow Competition on July 25 and a Consumers’ Choice Awards reveal on Aug. 1.
Market context and implications This year’s awards underscore ongoing commercial attention to craft cannabis and solventless concentrates. Moon Valley Cannabis won two categories for Neon Panther products (cartridges and ice water hash), signaling demand for solventless live rosin formats in both extract and cartridge markets. Ridgeline Farms and Greenshock Farms both represent growers emphasizing outdoor and mixed-light canopy management, a response to market demand for sun-grown products with tested potency and terroir-driven flavor.
Organizers estimated the California Cannabis Experience draws thousands of fairgoers over multiple weeks, offering product tastings, education and retail purchases where state law permits. The awards aim to provide a measurable benchmark for producers: laboratory-confirmed cannabinoid and terpene profiles, combined with sensory scores, determine winners rather than promotional claims alone.
What’s next The California Cannabis Awards will publish a full winners’ roster and scoring breakdown on their website and on partner channels. Consumers who want to follow the awards can attend remaining State Fair events, watch the Consumers’ Choice winners announced live on Aug. 1, and review lab data posted by SC Labs for several winning entries.
For producers, the awards highlight categories that scored well with judges this year: solventless live rosin concentrates, sun-grown flower, and clearly labeled wellness tinctures and RSO tablets. For advocates, the Prop 215 tribute provided a public record of the 30-year campaign that influenced state policy and created the foundation for today’s licensed market.
