A Rainy Afternoon at the National Cannabis Festival
Art Courtesy of Rebekah Jenks
It was a rainy Saturday afternoon when the National Cannabis Festival came to Washington DC.
It didn’t start out that way. The day before was 80 and sunny, and though Saturday dawned cooler with a breeze, early arrivals to the festival were treated to a plethora of local cannabis vendors, educational sessions, and live music.
Photos Courtesy of Michael Chevalier
But it couldn’t last. Before 2 pm a thunderstorm rolled in and parked itself over the festival. What was a cool breeze turned into gusts of wind delivering fat raindrops and devolved into utter chaos. Water quickly pooled until it was ankle-deep in several places, and lighting flashed overhead like Thor himself was visiting. By 2:05 pm, festival organizers issued an evacuation and rushed people out.
I missed all of this excitement as I rode the metro in, and when I arrived, the thunderstorm was still raging. But a little rain can’t stop me, and I pushed forward through the sheets of rain, ignoring the booming thunder overhead. I paid no mind to the crowds of people who walked past me in the opposite direction and tip-toed around the abandoned umbrellas. A wrong turn took me the long way around RFK stadium, where I passed bridge after bridge of people. They sat in camp chairs, chatting and smoking, clearly waiting for the storm to pass. After the third bridge, I began to wonder if there was something I was missing.
But after 90 minutes of traveling and an extra-long walk around the stadium, finding the entrance was the only thing on my mind. To my surprise, it was abandoned. Not a single festival employee remained behind the gates, and I strolled right in. There was no way to check in or get a name tag, but it didn’t seem like anyone was going to check.
Inside it was desolate and muddy, a despondent energy radiating from the few people that were still there. Small groups of people were huddled under vendor tents, but I was surprised to still see a large crowd of people under a big tent. Clearly, not everyone had made a run for it when the rain started to come down.
A vendor waved me down as I made my way in, and keen to make a sale, he gave me the best deal I’ve ever gotten on an eighth of Pineapple Pank.
“See?” He crowed triumphantly. “Just to make a point! I can make a sale still.”
Wet to the bone and with no idea what to do next, I lit up a pre-rolled joint I brought with me. Rain or no rain, smoking was welcome anywhere at the festival. Inside the big top tent, people squished water-logged shoes, passed joints, and shared laughs about the absurdity of the situation. Vendors walked around calling out their wares; pristine seeds, mushroom chocolates, and top-tier bud.
What was supposed to be a day of joy and celebration had turned on a dime, but not even a mini-monsoon can keep plant lovers down. After all, the National Cannabis Festival is about celebrating the culture of cannabis: resiliency and hustle are inherent to this culture.
I left the safety of the big top and made a break for a smaller tent, where one of the educational sessions was supposed to be held. No sooner had I sat down than a vendor appeared holding two bags of weed, each filled with a few ounces. He plopped one bag in my lap and another in my husband's and commanded us to smell. They were running a special, he said. Times like these called for a new strategy.
Both bags smelled great, but one had an irresistible pop of orange, so I bought another eighth. It was an even better deal than the first, and I was relieved that I would still leave with bud.
The surprises weren’t done yet. I wanted to smoke another joint, so I left the tent once again in search of pre-rolls. I didn’t have to go far to find Blanca Flor Exotics, who were giving out free prerolls in exchange for Instagram follows. My husband and I happily obliged and walked back to the tent two joints richer.
I hung out for around three hours, and the rain never let up in that time. My final stop was at the So Baked tent, where I picked up my favorite edibles – their Fruit Pebbles Space Nugz. Pockets full of weed and socks full of water, I left for the long ride home, satisfied and a little soggy.
The rain eventually stopped and the show went on. The gates for the Festival officially re-opened at 8 pm, and attendees were treated to the musical stylings of Free Nationals, Juicy J, and 2Chains (and a field full of mud.) While it wasn’t the event many hoped for (myself included) it was perhaps a reminder of the necessity of resiliency in this industry, especially given the uncertainty of the market these days.
