GUIDELINES FOR SELLING CANNABIS
DIRECTLY FROM YOUR BOOTH
Experience the ultimate advantage of direct customer engagement by selling cannabis products from your booth at Hall of Flowers. This option, available exclusively to Mini Arena, Arena, Mini Outdoor, & Large Outdoor booth exhibitors, allows you to build meaningful connections with buyers, showcase your products hands-on, and maintain complete control over your sales experience.
We understand that the regulations imposed by the state of California can create a lot of hurdles, so we’ve worked hard over many years to make the process as seamless as possible.
It is imperative to note that under no circumstances may cannabis be given away for free at the event. Exhibitors found in violation of any Department of Cannabis Control regulations will be subject to citations, fines, license revocation, and immediate removal from participation in the event.
To have your Cannabis Goods for Sale (CGFS) in your booth, please carefully review the In-booth Sales Standard Operating Procedures & the guidelines below to ensure you're fully equipped to meet all DCC requirements while focusing on what matters most – growing your business.
Retail License Requirements
Conducting cannabis sales within your booth is equivalent to operating a small dispensary. Therefore all sales must be conducted by a licensed retailer. Exhibitors may already have their own retail license, or if your company does not have its own (active) retail license, you must partner with a licensed retailer, a licensed non-storefront retailer, or a licensed microbusiness that is authorized to engage in retail sales.
Important Requirements:
You must submit the retail license you'll be using to Hall of Flowers by August 22nd.
A Cannabis License Form will be emailed to your designated point of contact. If you haven’t received the Form, please reach out to dispensary@hallofflowers.com.
Per DCC regulation § 15043, every staff member working in a cannabis booth is required to wear a laminated or plastic-coated identification badge issued by the retail licensee.
Your retail partner can send staff to help in your booth, or temporarily hire your event staff and provide ID badges.
FOR EXHIBITORS WITHOUT A RETAIL LICENSE:
OPTION 1: MEADOW FULL-SERVICE SOLUTION (Recommended)
Hall of Flowers has partnered with Meadow to provide a comprehensive POS solution that includes a retail partner. This turnkey option is perfect for exhibitors who don't have their own retail license or existing retail partnerships.
What's Included:
Licensed retail partner
Complete POS hardware and software
Compliance management
Compliant ID Badges & booth signage
Tax reporting and remittance
Staff training and onsite support
For detailed package information, view the Meadow POS Package details.
Contact Meadow at events@getmeadow.com or (415) 818-8896 to get started.
OPTION 2: SECURE YOUR OWN RETAIL PARTNER
You can start by reaching out to retailers who are already selling your products to discuss a partnership for the show. You can also tap your distribution network to inquire about their retail connections, or consider working with a POS provider who can pair you with a retailer.
2. Decide How Much Cannabis to Bring
Hall of Flowers is a unique opportunity to build relationships with retailers and provide them with a firsthand experience of your best offerings. Your goal is to bring only enough inventory to meet consumer demand without overextending, aiming to sell through all of your stock by the end of the show.
SKU & Unit Limits
All exhibitors using in-booth sales must adhere to the product SKU and unit limits based on your booth type:
Mini Arena & Mini Outdoor Booths: 8 Product SKUs total, up to 800 units
Arena Booths & Outdoor Activations: 10 Product SKUs total, up to 1000 units
3. Register For a Santa Rosa Cannabis Industry Tax Certificate
The City of Santa Rosa requires retailers conducting cannabis sales at the event to obtain a Cannabis Industry Tax Certificate. Apply Online using the “New Application - Special Event” form. A $100 annual Registration Fee applies to each cannabis business that is subject to the Cannabis Industry Tax.
Your Santa Rosa tax return and payment are due the last day of the month following the end of the quarter (12/31).
For exhibitors using the Meadow Full Service In-Booth Sales with an appointed retail partner, tax registration and tax remittance will be coordinated and paid by Meadow’s retailer partner.
For questions regarding the City of Santa Rosa Cannabis Industry Tax, please call (707) 543-3170 or email revenue@srcity.org.
4. Distributing Cannabis Goods for Sale to the Show
All cannabis goods sold at the event must be transported by a licensed distributor and comply with regulatory requirements – but don't worry, we've made this process as smooth as possible! All exhibitors shall have their cannabis goods delivered to one of Nabis's distribution warehouses 1-2 weeks prior to the show.
Nabis will transport your products to the showsite & manifest them directly to your retail licensee. Nabis will be the only distributor delivering product directly to the showsite.
Important Requirements:
Complete the Nabis Distribution Form by August 22nd to schedule your delivery.
Carefully review this Nabis Distribution Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for instructions and requirements on distributing, manifesting, packaging & labeling cannabis goods.
Arrange for your cannabis goods to be delivered the NorCal (8/25 - 9/5) or SoCal Nabis (8/25 - 9/3) distribution facilities by a licensed distributor within the product intake window prior to the show.
If you have not received an email to schedule a product intake appointment by August 26th please reach out to help@nabis.com.
All cannabis goods sold at the event must be transported by a licensed distributor and comply with regulatory requirements. All exhibitors conducting in-booth sales are required to use Nabis distribution services - no exceptions. Nabis will handle the transport of your products from their facilities to your booth at the show site.**
5. ⚠️ Essential Booth Items [Critical Compliance Requirements]
The Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) is conducting ACTIVE ENFORCEMENT at cannabis events. Missing ANY of these required items may result in issuing IMMEDIATE FINES, CITATIONS, and LICENSE SUSPENSIONS for non-compliance.
To ensure compliance with the Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) regulations, avoid penalties, and ensure a smooth experience for both staff and attendees, exhibitors must have the following items in their booths:
SECURE, LOCKED CONTAINERS: All cannabis goods for sale must be stored in secure, locked containers. These containers should not be accessible to the public, ensuring the safety and security of the products.
A simple example of secure locked containers would be a combination of 27 Gal. Storage Totes and 8 ft. Secure Cable Locks, allowing you to close & lock your cannabis and secure it to the upright walls of your booth.
STATE-ISSUED RETAIL LICENSE DISPLAYED: The retail license you are using to conduct sales must be prominently displayed within plain sight of the public. This ensures transparency and verifies that the booth is authorized to sell cannabis products.
EMPLOYEE ID BADGES: Every staff member working in a cannabis booth is required to wear a laminated or plastic-coated identification badge issued by the retail licensee at all times. Employees actually conducting cannabis sales must be employees of the retailer and must wear compliant ID badges at all times. (See SOP for detailed requirements)
OPAQUE EXIT PACKAGING: All cannabis goods purchased by customers must be placed in opaque exit packaging.
6. Display Product
Cannabis goods may only be displayed in your booth area.
Display products can be removed from packaging for inspection but must remain in containers that customers cannot access without retailer assistance. Staff must supervise customers during inspection.
Cannabis goods used for display purposes cannot be consumed or provided as free samples, as this would violate prohibitions on giving away cannabis goods.
Important: Nabis does not handle cannabis display products. We recommend that any cannabis display products be brought in by your booth staff while adhering to daily carry limits set forth by the DCC:
Cannabis Flower: Up to 28.5 grams
Concentrated Cannabis: Up to 8 grams (including edibles, oils, and other forms of concentrates)
Clones/Immature plants: Up to 6 plants
7. Pick Up Your Cannabis Goods at Show Site
Nabis will deliver all Cannabis Goods for Sale to the Hall of Flowers show site on Tuesday, September 9th between 10am-12pm. Each exhibitor will be assigned a product pickup window between 12pm-4pm. Your designated pickup window and location will be emailed to your Onsite Brand Representative from your Distribution Form.
Important: Product must be picked up by a badged employee/temporary employee of the retail partner/licensee. Product cannot be released to non-retail employees. If you need to change your Exhibitor Onsite Brand Rep, please email help@nabis.com.
How Sales Will Work
It is imperative that brands & their retailer partners carefully review the In-booth Sales Standard Operating Procedures to ensure you’re fully equipped to adhere to all DCC regulations.
In order to remain fully compliant, all Cannabis Goods provided to attendees must be treated as a sale transacted by your retail partner. As a result, your retail partner shall purchase from you each unit of the Cannabis products. We recommend that you invoice your retail partner for a final wholesale price of $0.01 per unit. Those cannabis goods should be sold for a retail price of $3.00 per unit after taxes.
The retail price of your Cannabis Goods sold should be tax-inclusive. Therefore, your retail partner should include the excise tax on the wholesale price of the goods ($0.01 per unit), as well as applicable local and state taxes, for a final total of $3 per unit at sale. Units should not be discounted nor labeled as trade samples.
Payment remittance of all taxes including excise tax, sales tax, and local cannabis tax, will be the sole responsibility of the exhibitor's retail partner. HOF & HOF distribution partner will not collect or remit any payments. Exhibitors are responsible for ensuring Excise Tax on Cannabis Goods for Sale (CGFS) are properly calculated, collected, and remitted by the Exhibitor’s on-site retail partner.
Read this for more information on California’s New Excise Tax Calculations.
Unsold Cannabis Goods
It is very important to carefully consider the amount of cannabis goods you are bringing to the show, as unsold products will not be returned after the event.
However, exhibitors have the option to purchase back any remaining products at a cost of $3 per unit. This purchase can be made from 6 pm to 7 pm on the last day of the event. Please note that all transactions must adhere to Adult Use daily purchase limits.
IMPORTANT DATES
Deadline to submit your DCC or CDPH issued Retail License Information
Deadline to complete Meadow’s Product Upload Spreadsheet (Exhibitors using Meadow Full Service with Assigned Retailer)
Deadline to complete the NABIS Distribution Form & schedule a Product Intake appointment.
Deadline to apply for Santa Rosa Cannabis Industry Tax Certificate
Product intake at SoCal Distribution facility, by appointment only. (9am - 4pm)
Product intake at NorCal Distribution facility, by appointment only. (9am - 4pm)
Pick up your Cannabis Goods on show site (12pm - 4pm)
Pick up your Meadow Hardware (12pm - 4pm) Exhibitors using Meadow Full Service with Assigned Retailer
Deadline to submit your Cannabis Tax return and payment to the City of Santa Rosa
CONTACTS
HOF POS Partners
Meadow
events@getmeadow.com
(415)818-8896