Forget prize piglets, pie-eating contests and sheep-shearing demonstrations. This fair is dedicated to showcasing the very best marijuana grown in California, and by extension, the world.

Cannabis-wise, we are in a remarkable moment. The prohibition that has put California growers and users on the wrong side of the law is breathing its last gasp, having sustained a major blow in 1997, the year voters legalized medical marijuana.

The smart political money (and there's a lot of it) is on total legalization, sooner rather than later.

So when more than 20,000 people showed up at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds last weekend — most carrying medical marijuana cards, making it legal for them to partake — you can't help but feel that the battle is over. No one is sneaking around anymore.

Click here to read the complete article

Robin Abcarian ~ Los Angeles Times ~