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Denver County Fair Goes to Pot, but Without the Smoke

By Aditi Mukherji, JD on January 29, 2014 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Denver's county fair just got a little greener with the addition of pot-themed contests to this year's event.

But pot enthusiasts hoping to score a blue ribbon should reconsider using an authentic secret ingredient. Alas, real marijuana won't be allowed at the fairgrounds, The Denver Post reports.

Here's a rundown of the various marijuana-themed contests at the Denver fair along with a few legal reminders:

  • 'Best Marijuana Plant' contests. As part of the pot plant contest, judges will select the best live plants and clones at an off-site location. Unlike at Amsterdam's famed Cannabis Cup, judges will look only at plant quality, not the potency or quality of the drugs they produce, reports the Post.
  • Live 'Speed Rolling' contest. The fair will also include a live joint-rolling contest. Testing speed and dexterity, the rolling will be done with oregano, not "oregano." It seems oregano is a pretty good proxy for the real deal considering drug dealers sometimes use oregano to rip off weed customers.
  • Munchies contests. Of course, there will also be contests for marijuana-infused brownies and savory foods, otherwise known as "edibles." Naturally, the fair will also have a Doritos-eating contest, a favorite police-approved pothead snack.
  • Paraphernalia contests. Pot enthusiasts with a more creative bent may be inclined to enter the pot-centered home goods contests, including homemade bongs, homemade roach clips, and clothing and fabric made with hemp. [Cue cheesy punch line drum-roll]: Channel your inner Pottery Barn! (Sorry). Because of the new state law, prosecution of marijuana paraphernalia possession has dropped significantly.

BYOB (Beer, not Bud)

Spectators can't cheer from the sidelines with a puff, puff, pass -- not legally, anyway. Even under Colorado's new law, people can't smoke in public. That means participants will also need to find another way to calm their nerves before putting their game face on.

For those with a more traditional palate for hedonistic delights, the fair will also include 24 categories of homemade beer, four categories for homemade wine, and one category for "spirits and liqueurs."

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