Not that everyone didn’t already, but consuming cannabis at San Francisco music and food festival Outside Lands is officially permitted this year, at least within a designated area, called Grass Lands. It’s the first SF cannabis event approval to be granted, given the green light jointly by the city and state, after a city event permitting process was recently put in place.
The eleventh hour Outside Lands cannabis approval (it’s been up in the air for weeks) will allow customers 21 and over to purchase and consume a range of products like edibles, vaporizers, and smokeable pot at the festival, though it’s still forbidden to bring your own and light up wherever. The per-person limit is seven grams of non-concentrated cannabis, or marijuana flower, and two grams of cannabis concentrates, as in vape pen cartridges.
Cannabis will be for sale from about a dozen vendors within Grass Lands, a knoll south of the polo fields performance stage. Grass Lands debuted last year in an educational capacity, no marijuana actually served. Now it’s going from theory to practice: This year, sponsored by California Cannabis delivery company Eaze, the area will feature about a dozen vendors like Kiva Confections, known for its pot-laced chocolates, and Lagunitas, who won’t serve beer, but instead cans of their Hi-Fi Hops product, a cannabis infused sparkling water with hops. There’s even entertainment with a culinary bent: A stage, presented by sponsoring cannabis producer Flow Kana, with appearances by the likes of Bon Appétit author Vanessa Lavorato and Mister Jiu’s chef Brandon Jew.
“Permitting Grass Lands as the inaugural event is the first step in creating a safe cannabis event space for those aged 21 years and older,” Office of Cannabis director Marisa Rodriguez said according to a press release. “Attendees will be able to purchase and consume lab-tested products away from the rest of the venue’s attendees. We’re excited to finalize the temporary cannabis event rulemaking – in collaboration with our City partners – and in support of the Temporary Cannabis Events Pilot Program.”
Sales and consumption areas at Grass Lands will be kept separated, organizers say, and the entire Grass Lands area will be out of view of the festival, with a wall in place. It ought to be easy enough to find it, though: Just follow your nose.