Hall of Flowers, the venerable cannabis showcase event, made its Sacramento debut this week. Held at Cal Expo (site of the California Cannabis Awards), the two-day trade show featured dozens of brands and ancillary companies showcasing the latest and greatest to buyers, budtenders, and press.
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This year’s fall edition featured a lot of what you’d expect along with a few surprises: a ton of Toad Venom crosses, exceptionally long lines for samples at the CAM booth, and head-scratching marketing (seeing a cardboard cutout of a medieval squire with a trumpet in his butt was not on my bingo card).
After a day and a half traversing the fairgrounds, here’s what stood out to me.
The new new
The first lap around Hall of Flowers is always focused on what’s fresh. The flower jars at Sense and Fig Farms were abundant, brimming with freshly cured and frosty buds just waiting to hit dispensary shelves. A sample jar of Bluscotti from Fig got my nose twitching in all the right ways.
Oregon-based edibles maker Grön has been expanding its footprint, launching in California in September following its acquisition by Wyld. At Hall of Flowers, Grön showcased its signature Pearls gummies alongside its new high-dose Mega line.
Award-winning edibles maker Emerald Sky also had something new at Hall of Flowers: an entirely separate brand of spacey candies called Plutons. The bite-sized morsels (with a consistency like Nerds clusters) come in a variety of far-out flavors, including Blue Moon Berry and Solar Strawberry.
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Sonoma Hills Farm showcased its line of terpene-infused spirit, dubbed Orenda. Crafted with the brand’s beloved flower, the beverage is only available in Tennessee as of now, with plans to expand soon. Because the product relies on terpenes rather than cannabinoids, the company hopes to avoid restrictions tied to the looming federal hemp crackdown.
The swag game was a bit weak at this Hall of Flowers, but “designer distillate” brand Cake: She Hits Different had two eye-catching gifts for the crowd: an incredibly useful sun visor meant to protect your car from the blazing California sun and an innovative phone case designed to fit one of the brand’s signature all-in-one vapes on the back.
Old favorites make a comeback
The retail space, in general, is cyclical. Trends come and go, then remerge (just look at the Y2K fashions the kids are sporting nowadays). The same seems to be ringing true in California cannabis, ten years after adult-use was legalized.
The CBD craze was circling back thanks to infused coffee brand Get Roasted. The organic java grounds contain 15mg of CBD per cup, helping the morning buzz get a little chiller.
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Skunk strains also seem to be on the up and up. The pungent genetics popped up at several booths, offering a welcome counterpoint to the candy-sweet and fruity terpene profiles dominating today’s menus.
It was also refreshing to see some classic hash in the building. Sitka offered traditional pressed hash, while HHCO displayed sifted ice water hash.
Sungrown steals the show
Perhaps the biggest highlight of Hall of Flowers Sacramento was the debut of the Sungrown Showcase. The area featured a wide swath of Emerald Triangle growers fresh off of the outdoor harvest season. Anchored by Woods Goods, Woody Harrelson’s partnership with Farm Cut, the showcase was buzzing with buyers exploring offerings from small, family-run farms.
Budist concierges guided attendees through the showcase, highlighting individual brands and offering expert insights into their products. Budist critic and Fruit+Flower founder Christina Wong pointed out several noteworthy releases arriving just in time for the holidays.
Bohemian Chemist is bringing Thai stick back in a big way. The old-school cannabis cigars contain top-shelf buds skewered on a stick, coated with premium solventless rosin, and wrapped in fan leaves. The limited-edition creations are expected to reach dispensary shelves soon.
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Attendees also got an early look at the 2026 edition of 12 Jays of X-Mas. Featuring 12 pre-rolls from 12 Emerald Triangle farms, the cannabis advent calendar offers a decidedly California twist on holiday gifting.
Moon Made Farms also showcased its striking Queen Colas. Harvested from the uppermost portion of the plant, the impressive colas are practically centerfold-worthy. Displayed under glass like the enchanted rose in Beauty and the Beast, these beauties almost seem too pretty to break down.
Other highlights from the sungrown section included the terp-rich CatchACloud farms, mixed-ratio varieties from the highly decorated Emerald Spirit Botanicals, and the 2026 Golden Bear-winning Pink Rider from Greenshock Farms.
Hall of Flowers Sacramento had a little bit of everything: fresh drops, familiar favorites, and plenty of questionable marketing decisions. But amid the hype, it was the celebration of California’s sungrown heritage that left the biggest impression. Sometimes the most exciting thing on the show floor isn’t what’s new, but what’s been there all along.
