Pop-up medical cannabis events offer savings to patients

With G-Eazy lyrics blasting from his car radio, Jose Agacio is live-streaming on Instagram about his next pop-up cannabis show. “You must have your recommendation and ID, remember that!” he shouts. “We're strict about scripts.”

Agacio is the man behind WeedAllStar LLC, and its nomadic Orbit cannabis show. He calls it a free-admission “farm-to-meds” marketplace for medical cannabis. On a Friday or Saturday night, among the endless warehouses of Sacramento's industrial neighborhoods, patients who can find Agacio's pop-up “private event” will see discounts at 30 percent to 70 percent off dispensary prices.

Flowers, concentrates, edibles and topicals are all available. You might see a well-known brand like Dab Face or California Extracts, but most vendors are smaller businesses you've never heard of, like No-Name Extracts, Honney Bunz, and Calvin and Globs. Glass pipe makers, clothing booths and food concessions add to the flavor, making the atmosphere feel like a tiny Cannabis Cup event. More than 40 vendors offer deals like $5 edibles and $10 concentrates.

“All of my vendors have city permits and pay their taxes,” said Agacio. While operating in a legal grey zone between old Prop. 215 laws and new Prop. 64 emergency regulations, he says the show is “215 and SB-420 compliant.”

To find an Orbit show, customers must connect with his Weedallstarllc page on Instagram, then wait for details. Once at the show, metal detectors and private security personnel keep everyone safe inside.

“Smell this!” said an exuberant vendor, holding out a jar of Orange Tangie. “Twenty-dollar quarters, and look at how tight those buds are, man!” Salesmen act like salesmen wherever you go, but the Orbit show's vibe is more party-like, and the crowd is young. “It's pretty chill, really friendly,” said one new visitor, as DJ music and dab smoke filled the air around her.

Agacio said his Orbit show doesn't directly compete with dispensaries because it operates for just a few hours on weekends. He is proud to give patients the chance to save money while supporting smaller entrepreneurs at the same time. “We're about helping the medical patients and local businesses,” he says.