Event Recap: 2025 California State Fair
Founded in 1854 as part of the mission to introduce the newly minted state of California’s bounty to the rest of the country, The California State Fair has long celebrated the best of the state’s agriculture and food & beverage products, awarding medals and the coveted Golden Bear trophy across categories like wine, olive oil, beer and cheese. In 2024, this legendary competition was extended to cannabis with the California Cannabis Awards, which recognizes and celebrates the best of the best in the state’s regulated market.
Budist has served as the official judging partner for the competition for the past two years, and on July 12, after weeks of tasting and evaluating products, our team of judges headed to Sacramento, where cultivators, creators, and connoisseurs joined consumers in celebration of the winners. As consumers from across the country gathered in the exhibit hall to learn about the plant, hear insightful discussions, and learn about products that had earned Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals, the stage was being set for one of the industry’s biggest moments: the 2025 California Cannabis Competition Awards Show. As medal-winners, thoughtleaders, and Budist judges walked the Green Carpet, the energy was high and there was one question on everybody’s lips: Who would take home the coveted Golden Bear trophy in each category?
The Awards Ceremony: Honoring California's Best
As the day heated up, Gold, Silver, and Bronze medal winners, which had been announced earlier in July, eagerly awaited the official Awards Ceremony, where all winners were celebrated for their excellence across nine categories and 16 sub-categories, but only the Golden Bear winners - the single best product in each category - would be invited up the stage.
As the community came together in excitement and celebration, some of the most anticipated Golden Bear Trophies were presented by our team of Budist critics. Although all of the winners are deserving of applause, there were a few standouts, including craft concentrates producer Ay Papi snagging two Golden Bears, claiming wins in both the Concentrates and Edibles category. Additionally, four Golden Bears went to farmers and makers from the Emerald Triangle, a powerful nod to the region’s legacy and contributions to cannabis culture. One of those brands, Emerald Spirit Botanicals, took home the Golden Bear for Pink Boost Goddess—for the second year in a row, cementing its status as a truly special cultivar. The solventless-heavy cartridge category also saw a surprising shakeup with the Holy Water Agua Fresca Live Resin Disposable taking home top title and proving that Live Resin is still a winning sub-category.
Meet the 2025 Golden Bear Trophy Winners
These winners represent the pinnacle of cannabis excellence in California. Reviews of these best-in-class products can be found in the Budist app and on Budist.com.
- Beverages: Almora – Whitethorn Rose Pomberry Lemonade
- Cartridges: Holy Water x Casa Flor – Agua Fresca Live Resin Disposable
- Concentrates: Ay Papi x Mattole Valley Sungrown x Canyon Creek Family Farms – Sour Z Live Rosin Dual Consistency
- Edibles: Ay Papi x Huckleberry Hill Farms – Whitethorn Rose Single Origin Live Rosin Infused Gummies
- Indoor Flower: CAM – Super Silver Haze
- Mixed Light Flower: Ridgeline Farms – Blueberry Caviar
- Outdoor Flower: Emerald Spirit Botanicals – Pink Boost Goddess
- Pre-Rolls: Sonoma Hills Farm – Pink Jesus Hash Hole
- Wellness: Papa & Barkley – Sleep Releaf Capsules
The California Cannabis Experience: A Showcase of Culture and Community
Set within a dedicated 50,000 square foot area of the California State Fair, the California Cannabis Experience offered a multi-sensory celebration of the state’s cannabis industry. It was immersive, educational, and a true highlight of the Fair, and its position alongside Fair classics like rides, games, booths, and beer gardens, indicates the growing normalization and acceptance of the plant.
In addition to an exhibit that told the story of California cannabis, for the second year in a row, the Fair allowed onsite consumption of cannabis in a shaded, misted area where consumers could relax and taste some of the winning products - just like consumers were tasting winning wines and beers outside in different exhibit halls.
Top-tier brands also exhibited to connect with consumers and share their brand stories, including Fat Nugs Magazine, Jeeter, Humboldt Seed Co, Dutchie, Cookies, Sluggers, Delighted, Humboldt Family Farms, Jetty, Coastal Sun, Holy Water, American Weed Co, Smokiez, Spinello, Rove, Naughty Squirrel Farms, Dabwoods, Humble Root—and many more.
Inside the Budist Judging Process: “What Makes Award-Winning Cannabis?”
One of the main highlights for the Budist team was a panel we hosted that offered a deep dive into the competition’s evaluation process. Titled “What Makes Award-Winning Cannabis,” this panel pulled back the curtain on how entries were judged—and what separated the good from the truly exceptional.
Moderated by Budist co-founder and cartridge judge Claudio Miranda, the panel featured one judge from each of the main categories. Together, they unpacked their judging criteria, shared behind-the-scenes stories, and discussed the sensory, technical, and cultural dimensions that define quality in cannabis.
The panel also featured Alec Dixon, co-founder of SC Labs, who brought a science-based lens to the competition by testing all of the flower entries—awarding Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals to the cultivars that ranked highest across eleven distinct chemotypes (cannabinoids and terpenes). From there, the medal-winning entries were placed in unbranded packaging for blind evaluation by the Budist judging team. Our flower judges used the Budist methodology to assess each cultivar based on aroma, flavor, appearance, and effects, awarding the Golden Bear trophy to the highest-scoring sample in each category: Indoor, Outdoor, and Mixed Light.
The panel left the audience with a deeper appreciation for the thoughtfulness and rigor behind every award—and a clearer understanding of how Budist is helping standardize and professionalize cannabis judging (read more about our process here!).
Final Thoughts
The 2025 California Cannabis Awards weren’t just about winners—they were about community, culture, and recognition. It was a day of celebration, inspiration, and connection, spotlighting the best of what California cannabis has to offer.
Whether you walked away with a trophy or simply took in the sights and sounds of the California Cannabis Experience, guests who attended were part of something truly special and historic!
