2023 National Cannabis Fest: Smoke, Storm, and Songs

On Saturday, April 21st, a bubble of thick smoke engulfed the district. “I can’t see shit in here with all that smoke,” said 2 Chainz wafting air away from his face. Although the music was loud that night, the bud may have been louder. One can only expect the National Cannabis Fest to have a full-fledged arsenal of the dankest products. 

To celebrate 2023’s Earth Day and the seventh annual NCF, attendees gathered to set tree ablaze, but of course, the environmentally friendly kind. At 12:00 am sharp, festival gates swung open leading a stampede of cannabis lovers racing towards the entrance. RFK stadium grounds were buzzing with enthusiasm as attendees swarmed the various scattered tents. 

For the first time, the festival housed a Psycadelics Pavillion, where leading activists and experts educated the crowd on the latest psychedelic discoveries, observations, and breakthroughs. Vendors also participated in showcasing and even selling magic mushrooms at select tents. Not only were attendees great admirers of psilocybin but so was 2 Chainz, giving a shout-out to “anyone on the shrooms besides [him]” before beginning to see double. 

High and mighty stood a tent labeled Grower’s World, where the behind-the-scenes of bud-making was revealed. The landmark location held three main attractions: the Marketplace where the best soil, seeds, and equipment lay for purchase; the Grow School Stage with experts speaking on residential and commercial cultivation; and the National Cannabis Championship Pavillion where contest finalists, judges, and sponsors of NCC hung out to chat with attendees. 

To the left of the growth hub were a plethora of other attractions including the Policy Pavillion, discussing cannabis legalization and policy, and the Culture Pavillion, highlighting the impacts of cannabis on our culture. Just above lay the Wellness Pavillion, which set out to discuss the medicinal benefits of cannabis with special speakers, and the Culinary Pavillion, where conversations and live demons of cooking with cannabis set to take place. Sandwiched between Wellness and Culinary was Wrestling (geographically speaking, of course) featuring the showdown between the Night Owl and Cory Bush. 

The north star for baked individuals to satisfy their hunger, aka the Munchies Zone, scattered the northwest wing of the festival grounds. From DC slices to Jerk @ Nite and everything in between, individuals could appease any arisen craving. There were even vegan and gluten-free options available to accommodate people of all walks and diets.

Inclusivity seemed to be a theme for the fest, covering all dietary needs, special lounges for veterans and members of the LGBTQ+ community, and a wide array of weed products for all consumers. The atmosphere was immaculate.

Planning seemed to be fool-proof, with rain or shine conditions explicitly stated on all promotional advertising. However, just two hours into the event, storm clouds rolled over the stadium. Just before Cumbia Heights set when Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton was speaking, before a drop of rain could fall, an announcement was made that festival goers would have to evacuate the premises immediately due to a storm watch.

First, patrons were relocated under a bridge, slightly on the outskirts of the festival grounds. Faces shifted from smiles to frowns. Individuals lined the walls of the tunnel, propping up chairs in circles. “Five dollar prerolls!” A voice rang out, holding a bag of joints in the air. Purchased goodie bags were opened and spilled onto paper. Lighters clicked and smoke once again filled the air. Murmurs of disappointment dispersed from group to group, as everyone eagerly waited to be let back in. 30 minutes later as the rain slammed the pavement, festival workers motioned the hopeful crowd back towards the entrance, just to be shoved through an emergency exit. 

Confusion and doubt proved most present, with individuals questioning what to do next. By the time patrons began the journey back to the metro and their cars, hail was shooting down from the sky. Groups huddled under trees for several minutes before waving the white flag and departing. The only hope was to consistently check social media updates from NCF. Some stuck around in their cars for hours while others immediately fled the scene.

Eventually, a breakthrough update landed on the NCF website at 4:35 pm, stating the last three music acts would perform from 8:30-11:00 pm, with reentry at 8:00. Despite their notion to monitor for weather updates, the festival commenced two hours after the storm had passed.

At 8:00 pm sharp, the parking lots swarmed with cars shoving their way between one another to match minutes with expenditure and catch the last few sets. By this hour, the entire local lineup of Cumbia Heights, Foots X Coles, Everyday Everybody, and Backyard Band were cut, as well as exhibitors’ schedules. However, a multitude of vendors marched their way back to the ground, rapidly propping up tents and tables with goods. 

Somberness hung in the air like an invisible cloud as attendees made a silent walk back to the check-in point. Yet, once Free Nationals hit the stage, joy dispersed throughout the crowd. The soothing guitar rifts, captivating synths, and enchanting vocals caressed ears of listeners, pulling them out of their depressive spell. In no time the crowd was back on their feet, swaying to the sweet sounds emerging from the stage. 

Around 9:30, Juicy J emerged, leading the crowd to push forward and close the gap between the people and the barricade. Hoots and hollers exploded from mouths. “Say SHUT THE FUCK UP,” yelled Juicy. The crowd immediately mimicked him. “If you smoke weed put your hands in the air.” Arms flung up towards the sky. 

Juicy J’s set single-handedly hauled the hype back to the grounds. Performing all his classics, Juicy rapped all of his classics, from Thinking with My Dick, to SDAB, to Power Glide with fans emitting excitement left and right. During his performance of Slob on My Knob Juicy brought out Trey Drizzle, who rapped the first half with Juicy finishing the second. 

After a brief intermission, 2 Chainz struck the stage prompting another round of screams from attendees. Opening with No Lie, fans immediately hurled lyrics back at him, bopping and shaking their heads back and forth. “Make some mother fuckin’ noise for yourselves,” said 2 Chainz post song. Soon after, he rapped his verse in No Problem by Chance the Rapper with the signer on stage enthusiastically dancing while signing. 

In honor of celebrating cannabis, 2 Chainz lit up a joint midway through his set. “We came here to get high and have a good time,” said 2 Chainz. He continued, “I pray everybody gets some head before they go to sleep tonight.” Shortly after, he began rapping Lil Wayne’s Rich as Fuck before announcing that the two have a project release in six weeks. 

Wrapping up with the classics, 2 Chainz performed F**kin’ Problems, It’s A Vibe, Good Drank, and Bandz A Make Her Dance, giving a shout-out to Juicy J who performed the song earlier. He then encouraged the crowd to shine a light on a “birthday person”, to celebrate the birthdays of anyone attending the fest, perfectly tying into his last song of the night, Birthday Song.

Despite the rocky start to the 7th annual National Cannabis Fest, the night ended with pure power and exuberance. Although only three performances took place, each artist electrified the stage with whirlwind sets. Last-minute sales were exchanged between vendors and exiting individuals. Hopeful in 2024, the celebration of cannabis will bring nothing but sunny skies, weed supplies, and good times.