Colorado's Denver County is adding cannabis-themed contests to its 2014 summer fair. It's the first time pot plants will stand alongside tomato plants and homemade jam in competition for a blue ribbon.
There won't actually be any marijuana at the fairgrounds. The judging will be done off-site, with photos showing the winning entries. And a live joint-rolling contest will be done with oregano, not pot.
But county fair organizers say the marijuana categories will add a fun twist on Denver's already-quirky county fair, which includes a drag queen pageant and a contest for dioramas made with Peeps candies.
"We thought it was time for us to take that leap and represent one of the things Denver has going on," said Tracy Weil, the fair's marketing and creative director.
The nine marijuana categories include live plants and clones, plus contests for marijuana-infused brownies and savory foods. Homemade bongs, homemade roach clips and clothing and fabric made with hemp round out the categories.
An employee weighs portions of retail marijuana to be packaged and sold at 3D Cannabis Center in Den …
Judges will look only at plant quality, not the potency or quality of the drugs they produce. Other contests — patterned after Amsterdam's famed Cannabis Cup — already gauge drug quality and flavor.
Top prize is $20, plus of course a blue ribbon. The fair already has a green ribbon — awarded for using environmentally conscious methods.
