SELASSIEFEST
One Day. One Love. One Community.

🌱 Farm To Dispensary

A one-day immersive curriculum — from living soil to retail experience. Led by Chicago’s #1 market share cannabis brand.

SAT · JULY 25, 2026
6:00 AM — 10:00 PM
Presented by Higher Learning Roots & Blüm™ Chicago
Market Leader Spotlight — Featuring the #1 cannabis brand in the Chicago market. Our cultivation experts & retail educators bring you the real seed-to-sale journey.

THE FULL FARM TO DISPENSARY EXPERIENCE

10 dynamic hours of deep dives, interactive labs, terpene tastings, and expert panels. From sunrise reasoning to sunset ceremonies.

6:00 AM – 8:30 AM · DAWN ACTIVATION
🌄 Roots & Reasoning: Living Soil & Organic Cultivation
Living Soil Science Regenerative Ag🎤 Lead: Mama Kush, Head Grower (Chicago Cultivator #1)
Wake up with the farmers. Explore the microbial life, no-till soil building, and how top-tier craft cannabis starts with the rhizosphere. Interactive soil pit, microscope demo on mycorrhizae, and a cacao + terpene tea ceremony.
🔬 Soil Food Web🌿 Cover Crops & Compost📈 #1 Market Quality Standards
8:45 AM – 11:00 AM · CULTIVATION DEEP DIVE
🏞️ Pheno-Hunting & Genetics: The Art of Selection
Genetic Preservation Strain Development
Led by the brand’s master geneticist, explore how we hunt for terpene-rich, resilient cultivars. Live sensory evaluation of rare heirloom strains vs. new hybrids. Learn about preservation of legacy genetics inside Chicago’s #1 facility.
🧬 Trichome evaluation lab🌱 Clone vs. Seed📊 Market demand science
11:15 AM – 1:30 PM · HARVEST & POST-PRODUCTION
✂️ From Chop to Cure: Drying, Trimming & Terpene Preservation
Cure Science Cold Cure Live Rosin
Hands-on demonstration of optimal drying rooms, bucking techniques, and how to preserve volatile monoterpenes. Exclusive tour-style teaching with full-spectrum extraction insights. Smell the difference between rushed vs. precision craft cure.
💧 Humidity control mastery🌬️ Whole plant hang🧪 Cannabinoid retention
1:45 PM – 4:00 PM · ITAL LUNCH & TERPENE IMMERSION LAB
🍃 The Leaf Library & Terpene Sensory Lab
Aroma Chemistry Live Terpene Slushies
Step into an immersive sensory journey — infused Ital lunch (vegan + gluten-free) alongside the famous “Terpene Discovery Bar”. Smell raw isolates, identify myrcene, limonene, caryophyllene, and learn how top Chicago dispensaries curate menus based on terpene profiles.
👃 Aroma wheel workshop📖 Leaf Library rare books🍊 Citrus vs. Gas profiles
4:15 PM – 6:30 PM · DISPENSARY OPERATIONS & COMPLIANCE
🏬 From Backdoor to Retail Shelf: The Dispensary Ecosystem
Illinois RegulationsBudtender Science🎤 VP of Retail, #1 Chicago Brand
Ever wonder how flower gets tested, packaged, and sold? Walk through state compliance, packaging innovation, METRC tracking, and how to build an educational retail space. Live Q&A with top dispensary leaders + mock “menu consulting” experience.
⚖️ DPI & label literacy📦 Child-resistant innovation📈 Customer education best practices
6:45 PM – 8:30 PM · CANNABIS ACADEMY: FUTURE OF THE INDUSTRY
🎓 Higher Learning Diploma Session: Equity, Sustainability & Innovation
Social Equity Carbon-Neutral Cultivation
Capstone of the day: an inspirational panel featuring Chicago’s legacy operators, the #1 brand’s CEO, and policy advocates. Certificates awarded to attendees who complete the full curriculum. Explore how farm-to-dispensary creates economic empowerment + regenerative future.
🏆 Graduation ceremony🤝 Networking mixer🌍 Climate-smart cannabis
8:30 PM – 10:00 PM · REASONING CIRCLE & FIRESIDE CLOSING
🔥 One Love Reflection: Ancestral Wisdom + Modern Science
Healing Grove IntegrationSound Bath
Under the stars, we gather for a closing reasoning circle led by elders and brand founders. Reflect on the journey from farm to dispensary, share intentions, and enjoy a grounding sound bath. Herbal infusions and community connection until 10pm.
🎶 Nyabinghi drumming🧘🏿 Guided meditation✨ Intentional giveaways

"We don’t just grow cannabis — we cultivate knowledge. As the #1 brand in Chicago, our commitment to education is rooted in transparency, heritage, and the highest quality from soil to sale."

— Higher Learning Roots x Blüm™ Cultivation Team

Smart Buds Biology Lab

Live trichome viewing stations, HD microscopes and resin gland analysis. Observe the difference between milky, clear and amber heads.

The Leaf Library

Rare cannabis literature, historical artifacts, and Illinois legacy archive. Curated by our in-house ethnobotanist.

Certification Track

Attend all key sessions and earn the "Farm To Dispensary Graduate" pin + digital certificate from Higher Learning Roots.

🎟️ Reserve Your Spot — SelassieFest 2026

The Farm To Dispensary curriculum is included with festival admission. Arrive early at the Higher Learning Roots village (near Healing Grove). Limited capacity for hands-on labs.

GET TICKETS → DOWNLOAD SCHEDULE

Saturday, July 25th, 6:00 AM – 10:00 PM · Dan Ryan Woods, Chicago · All ages welcome, 18+ for consumption area.