Chalice California in San Bernardino to fire up crowd with music, marijuana and more

Action Bronson is set to perform at Chalice California. Action Bronson performs during the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, CA, Friday, April 10, 2015. Photo by Jennifer Cappuccio Maher/Inland Valley Daily Bulletin)

By Wes Woods

Chalice California

Where: National Orange Show Events Center, 689 S. E St., San Bernardino.
Admission: $70 plus fees for single-day passes; $120 plus fees for two-day pass; $250 plus fees VIP pass; Backstage pass $350 plus fees; D-Nail Pass $650 plus fees; Cabana Rental $3,000 plus fees (does not get you into festival).
Information: www.eventbrite.com or www.ChaliceCalifornia.com

Chalice California boasts hip-hop stars Busta Rhymes, Action Bronson, plus Cut Chemist Peanut Butter Wolf and more, but the two-day event isn’t just another smoke-shrouded music festival.

Returningfor its second year, Chalice California is one of six cannabis-centric event in the Inland Empire planned for the year that focuses on the medical marijuana industry and other hot topics and interests within the subculture. From highlighting the art of marijuana glassware to testing the level of potency of cannabis strains, Chalice California is all about the ganja and its growing prominence among diverse crowds in the state and country.

SC Labs, a company out of Santa Cruz among the sponsors of the event, is examining marijuana strains to help determine winners in several pot-related competitions at Chalice California, which is set for July 11-12 at the National Orange Show in San Bernardino.
“We test for a lot of the larger competitions in California, with Chalice being one of them,” said SC Labs co-founder Ian Rice, who added they expect more than 150 samples from flower, concentrate and edible entries among others.

“It is definitely considered one of the premier events in the marketplace now. It’s a great opportunity for us as a laboratory to introduce our services as well as participate at that level.”
There will be a Glassblower Village where attendees can watch artists compete in a pendant and chalice creating contest and, because temperatures are expected to near 100 degrees at the outdoor event, there will be some air conditioned tents, Rice said.

But between the marijuana and the music, the summer heat shouldn’t hurt attendance.
In addition to headliner Busta Rhymes, this year’s lineup features several Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival veterans including livetronica’s STS9 (Sound Tribe Sector 9), which played last year’s Chalice California.
Busta Rhymes is scheduled to headline on July 11 with Peanut Butter Wolf, P.U.T.S., Monch, Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad and more, while STS9 is set to be the main act July 12 with Bronson, Cut Chemist, Alchemist, Curren$y, Beats Antique and more.

“It’s certainly quite an awesome lineup,” Rice said. “They do a fantastic job as far as making all the vendors and the general attendees have a real solid, solid time.”
San Bernardino Police Department Lt. Rich Lawhead said marijuana related events are much like other events at the National Orange Show, with no major significant crime spikes event despite the occassional car burglary, which Lawhead said is common for large events at the venue.

“I don’t have anything negative to say about the event,” Lawhead said. “We haven’t had any issues to my knowledge with recent (marijuana) events.”
Of the marijuana consumption at the event, Lawhead said there are restrictions and people still have to obey the law.
But Rice doesn’t forsee any problems at Chalice California.
“That’s one of things noticeable about Chalice: the level of professionalism they bring to the table,” Rice said. “It’s a breath of fresh air to work with them ... we don’t see fights at these events, we don’t see issues of people getting too drunk. It’s generally a very safe and healthy event.”