Announcing the Winners of the 2025 NCF Session Selector Contest!
The people have spoken—and we’re thrilled to announce the sessions that were chosen to take the stage at this year’s National Cannabis Festival!
The result is a powerful lineup of panels and workshops that reflect the heart of cannabis culture: justice, wellness, entrepreneurship, spirituality, and truth-telling. These winning sessions bring together fresh voices, bold ideas, and deep experience—and we can’t wait for you to hear them!
Here are just a few of the winners of the 2025 Session Selector Contest:
District Elixir Presents: What Are Your Edibles Doing for You? Part II: Your Strains Matter — Pairing Terpenes to Needs
Culinary Pavilion, Saturday, 2:30pm
Not all edibles are created equal. This immersive session explores how pairing specific strains—and their terpene and cannabinoid profiles—with everyday foods can help you get the most out of your edible experience.
When the Smoke Clears: Firefighters and Cannabis
Wellness Pavilion, Saturday, 3pm
First responders are being denied access to the very medicine they need. Join firefighter advocates and medical professionals as they unpack the stigma, science, and legal barriers surrounding cannabis access for firefighters living with PTSD, cancer, and chronic pain.
Saints, Sinners & Sativas: Reclaiming Our Right to Heal
Wellness Pavilion, Saturday, 5:15pm
From being judged as “bad mothers” to feeling erased from cannabis culture, Black and Brown women still face real stigma around cannabis usage. This session breaks down media myths, respectability politics, and religious pressure—and reclaims cannabis as a source of freedom and wellness.
Record Sealing, Expungement, and a Second Chance
Policy Pavilion, Saturday, 2:30pm
DC Justice Lab leads this essential conversation about D.C.’s groundbreaking law to expand record sealing and expungement. Learn how this law helps remove barriers to jobs, housing, and stability—and why it’s a key piece of the cannabis justice puzzle.
Joint Custody
Culture Pavilion, Saturday, 4:45pm
Joint Custody is a bold workshop exploring the intersection of cannabis and parenting. We break stigma, share stories, and provide tools for navigating judgment, legal concerns, and everyday parenting while standing confidently in your truth.
Cannabis as a Holy Sacrament: Exploring Sacramental and Ceremonial Use of Cannabis
Sacred Medicine Pavilion, Saturday, 2:30pm
This session will explore the history, standards, and codification of faith based, sacramental, and ceremonial use of cannabis globally. We will discuss Rastafari Ital Cannabis and the potential to integrate Sacramental use into Legal Markets.
Elevate & Align: A Sacred Sufi Cannabis Meditation for Healing & Higher Vibration
Wellness Pavilion, Friday, 5:00pm
Experience Uzma’s Sufi meditation—a unique journey that gently clears your energy and reconnects you to love and unity. Paired with cannabis care, Bloom Higher helps unlock your highest levels of physical, mental, and spiritual wellbeing. Feel refreshed, supported, and aligned. Bloom Higher with Uzma.
Stay Cool, Stay High: Using Cannabis Safely in the Heat
Culture Pavilion, Friday, 6:30pm
Join the experts at Essence in the Air for tips and tricks on staying safe while consuming cannabis in hot weather. Learn how heat can affect your body, hydration tips, product choices, and dosing strategies to keep your experience chill, enjoyable, and comfortable all summer long.
There’s a lot to learn at NCF this year. We recommend reviewing the Education Pavilion schedules, making a list of what you want to see, and preparing yourself for an overload of information — and fun. Mark your calendars, grab your passes, and get ready—this is a cannabis culture celebration like no other.
Tickets are available here.