For the first time, the California State Fair will permit the sale and consumption of Packman and marijuana on-site.

This year’s California State Fair is gonna be different, with weed sales and Pac man carts allowed on-site for the first time ever.

In the past few years, the annual fair has had cannabis contests and info stands, but this time around, grown-ups can buy and use marijuana at the state-approved event.

“Having weed sales and use at the fair is a big deal. It’s helping to make cannabis more normal and lets people get to know the farmers who grow their stuff,” said Lauren Carpenter. She started the cannabis company Embarc, which is working with the fair to offer more marijuana options. Carpenter shared this in a press release.

At the event, which runs from July 12 to 28, grown-ups 21 and up can check out different Pacman 2G Disposable products, put them in a virtual cart, and grab them at one of Embarc’s nearby shops.

The fair will also have a big 30,000-square-foot area where people can use cannabis.

James Leitz, who’s in charge of the Cannabis Competition and Exhibit, said, “This event shows how important weed is to farming in California, and it’s a big deal for the state fair’s 170-year history. Letting the competition include all types of products and giving people a chance to try out the winning brands right there is going to change how folks understand this plant.”

California’s doing this for the first time, but New York’s State Fair let people use and buy weed on-site back in 2021 after they made it legal for adults. But last year’s fair stopped allowing public use—even though folks could still buy pot stuff from about ten local growers at a weed farmers market that happened along with the event.

In California, this year’s weed contest is getting bigger. They’re adding new groups besides just the flower, like pre-rolls, concentrates, and edibles. More than 500 entries are in the mix, which is twice as many as last year.

Tom Martinez, who runs the California State Fair, said, “The California State Fair took a big step in 2022 by starting a weed exhibit and contest. This year, we’ve added more stuff. You can buy and use weed in a special area. This gives us a chance to show off California’s great farming and let farmers from all sorts of backgrounds tell their stories.”

“We’ve teamed up with Sacramento California, James Leitz, and Embarc—along with our strong on-site health and safety setup—to make sure we have a responsible event that’s sensitive to the community,” he said. “We’re excited to welcome people from all over the state and beyond to this eye-opening experience.”

The California Exhibition & State Fair is a separate state agency set up by law under California’s Food and Agriculture Code. Governor Gavin Newsom (D) is part of the fair’s board of directors without having to be elected, along with a few state lawmakers.

This year’s fair has more stuff about cannabis, thanks to a law passed in 2018. This law lets officials give out short-term marijuana event permits in places where the local government says it’s okay.

Last month, the California Assembly gave the green light to a bill that would make cannabis cafes legal in the state. They sent this bill to the Senate a few months after the governor said no to an earlier version of the plan.

The bill would also let cannabis shops that allow on-site use host live music or other shows. This is just part of what the new rules would do if they become law.

On their own, lawmakers from both parties put forward a bill last week to start a test program that would give psilocybin treatment to veterans and first responders. This program aims to help those who’ve served in the military or work as emergency personnel.