Amber Sandhu

Redding

For vendors selling marijuana-related products at this weekend's Hemp and Cannabis Fair, the event wasn’t just a way to dispel myths about pot and associated products, it was a way to make a sale, too.

Hundreds of people went to the Holiday Inn on Saturday to attend the fair, which was held for the first time in Redding.

While different pipes and bongs were on display at most tables, some vendors showed off some of their own personal creations. Pot wasn't for sale.

Randal Barrett, who calls himself a scientific glassblower, promoted his product — The Perfect Pipe — to people nearby.

“It took me forever to build this,” he said.

The small glass pipe he creates comes with a filter that he says allows people to smoke cannabis without burning their throat. He said it’s particularly good for those who may be older and may need to smoke for medicinal purposes.

“It’s almost like no impact to the human body,” he said.

Barrett argues that bongs and pipes are harsh on the throat, and the people who stopped by his booth were more focused on smoking cannabis in a healthier way.

With the passage of Proposition 64, people can have a six-plant marijuana grow inside their home for recreational purposes. The wide acceptance of marijuana has brought forth a type of “Green Rush,” according to some business owners, who are seeing it as a way to make money.

For Bruce Brussard, owner of The Darkside, a smoke shop on Pine Street in Redding, he saw the industry as a business opportunity 30 years ago. And despite seeing smoke shops come and go in Redding, his establishment is still standing.

“I’m not in this to get high,” he said. “I’m in this for the money.”

Brussard remembers when he first started his business, the feedback wasn’t so positive. Although he said he hasn’t smoked weed for a couple of years, he believes he doesn’t have to necessarily “drive a Porsche to sell a Porsche.”

And pragmatically speaking, after being in business 30 years, he knows one thing will always ring true.

“I think the majority of people just want to get stoned, to be honest,” he said.

For Bobbi Hyde, 53, of Redding, the event was very much needed.

“Just the knowledge people are getting out of this is outrageous,” she said. “Knowledge is golden. Ignorance is bliss.”

The fair was originally set at the Shasta District Fair grounds in Anderson, but according to Naomi Forkash, director of The THC Fair, the 27the District Agricultural Association Friends of Shasta cancelled their contract Wednesday, leaving Forkash and other organizers scrambling for a new venue at the last minute. By Thursday morning, Holiday Inn of Redding gave them the green light to move the fair there.

The Hemp and Cannabis Fair will continue 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at the Holiday Inn.