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Cannabis can’t join in the fun of Washington fairs.

Fairs across the U.S. draw crowds for carnival games, rides, fried food and to see the region’s agricultural prowess. Cannabis has joined other products for state fair judging in Oregon and California, but is not likely to appear in Washington fairgrounds anytime soon.

Oregon was the first state to show off cannabis plants in 2016 in a state fair exhibit accessible only to people 21 and older, after the state legalized cannabis for recreational use in 2015.

The nine plants displayed in 2016 could only be shown in a pre-budding phase and were the winning plants from the Oregon Cannabis Growers’ Fair. The 60 entries at the still-annual growers’ fair were judged on plant appearance, rather than lab testing for certain cannabinoids, and were divided into three categories of indica, sativa and hybrid.

The California State Fair’s first cannabis exhibit in 2022, on the other hand, awarded medals for the cannabis flower and focused on the abundance of cannabinoids and terpenes in the buds. All entrants were licensed cannabis growers in California and were judged objectively with testing by SC Labs, a cannabis and hemp lab. The 21+ exhibit at the fair provided educational materials about cannabis and displayed the awards and information about the 60 winners.

In 2024, after California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation authorizing licensed cannabis events, the California State Fair also integrated an on-site consumption lounge where attendees 21 and older could buy the award-winning products to use there or take home.

In addition, the 2024 competition expanded the categories — beyond just testing the flower — to include cannabis products like pre-rolls, concentrates, cartridges, edibles and more.

“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,” said James Leitz, executive producer of the California State Fair’s Cannabis Competition and Exhibit, in a 2024 press release.

While cannabis was legalized for recreational use and sale in Washington in 2012, it is not considered an agricultural product. Unlike California, Washington has not passed legislation authorizing the use of cannabis in temporary lounges (like at fairs). Washington House Bill 1932, which would have allowed for public cannabis consumption in regulated environments, died this session.

Jessica McLaughlin, the fair coordinator for the Spokane County Interstate Fair, tells the Inlander that Spokane and other fair directors in Evergreen, Clark, Grant, Kittitas counties have not considered or discussed adding cannabis as an exhibit to be judged.