Cannabis and music festivals go together like avocado and toast, tequila and lime, psilocybin mushrooms and orange juice, wine and cheese, and every other sweet pairing known to man. But like other drugs, the plant has always been prohibited from festivals, despite being the most commonly used substance. In all our years of festivaling, we’ve seen people get tackled for sharing blunts and joints with undercover cops, and get searched and kicked out of festivals for weed. Even under the new state law in California, festivals (we’re looking at you, Coachella) have made public announcements saying that cannabis is not allowed on premises because it’s a schedule-one drug. But San Fransisco’s Outside Lands Music Festival is setting a major trend by incorporating a funky little nook called “Grass Lands,” an area dedicated to legal cannabis.
Known for their culinary wonderlands located throughout the festival, such as Wine Lands, Beer Lands and Cheese Lands, Grass Lands will focus on the celebration, education, and integration of cannabis products into daily life. Unlike Southern California, where the stigma still very much exists compared to NorCal’s canna-culture, this effort to include an area for cannabis is designed to normalize its use. It also makes Outside Lands the first major mainstream fest to offer a curated 420 experience on event premises.
“Outside Lands is always exploring different ways to create a unique and memorable festival experience for attendees, while also celebrating our Northern California community, ” said Rick Farman, a co-producer of Outside Lands, in a statement. “Much the way that Wine Lands celebrates Napa and Sonoma as the leaders in U.S. wine production, Grass Lands will shine a light on the area’s importance as pioneers in the cannabis world. With recreational marijuana now legal in California, there is so much to discover. We are excited to be the first major festival in the country to offer attendees the chance to learn about the latest in cannabis development.”
Grass Lands will look like a town square where attendees over the age of 21 can able to enjoy sweet treats from an area called the “Confectionery”, learn from budtenders who will offer cannabis education in a section called the “Greenhouse”, and explore activities like the Lemonade Stand, the Flower Shop offering flower crowns, a cannabis-themed Farmers Market, an interactive Smell Wall featuring botanical terpenes, and a delivery service featuring a wealth of available cannabis products.
It should be pointed out, however, no cannabis or related products will be available for purchase or consumption onsite at the festival this year. But there will be a delivery service partner represented that can hook you up once you leave the premises. While no on-site deliveries will be made within Golden Gate Park, people who elect to take advantage of their service can enable at-home deliveries.
Grass Lands will feature leading, legal cannabis companies including: Cookies, Ona.Life, Flow Kana, CannaCraft, Kiva Confections, Lemonnade, True Terpenes, Mesh Brands, Sunday Goods, Pax Labs, Jetty Extracts, Emerald Exchange, and Barbary Coast. Highland Events, an event company that specializes in curating cannabis experiences at mainstream music festivals and venues, Super Fly and Another Planet Entertainment are the masterminds behind Grass Lands. “Outside Lands is the pinnacle of music festivals– both in the Bay Area and nationwide,” Salwa Ibrahim, COO of Highland Events, said in a statement. “We’re thrilled to create this partnership at such a crucial inflection point of the cannabis industry.”
Outside Lands is happening Aug. 10 – 12 in Golden Gate Park, and will feature performances by The Weeknd, Florence and the Machine, Janet Jackson, Odesza, Future, Beck, Portugal. The Man, and DJ Snake to name a few. Ranger Dave told us he thinks this party in the Park is going to be hella lit. We don’t know what Ranger Dave knows about getting lit, but we imagine he’s never been more right.
Purchase tickets to Outside Lands here.
