Whether you're in Maine or Michigan, state fairs have their own smell — a mix of hot oil from the curly fries, and that unmistakable livestock tent.

One exhibit at this summer's Oregon State Fair, though, has a particularly distinctive funk. It's the one introducing a new crop: marijuana.

"It was this year that the state Legislature designated cannabis as a farm crop. And the general public should know what it's all about," says Don Morse, the head of the Oregon Cannabis Business Council.

And the tent — which has a strong piney, somewhat skunky smell — features nine prize-winning marijuana plants. They're the first live pot plants that have ever been shown at a state fair.

A behind-the-scenes glimpse inside Portland's boutique cannabis soirées.

“That’s my kind of Tupperware party!” exclaimed a friend on Instagram after I posted an image of a table covered in bongs, grinders, vaporizers, stash canisters, and nugs. This was my first time at a HAPPY Parties event and I was excited to document my findings. Unlike direct sales parties of yesterday, these enterprising shindigs feature cutting-edge cannabis technology with an emphasis on education while getting stoned in the comfort of your living room. I wonder what Earl Silas Tupper would think if he were alive today.

The recreational marijuana industry is “doing phenomenal” in Eugene, Oregon.

That’s what Courtney Delaplain, the manager of a local dispensary named Casper’s, said of Eugene’s newest industry.

A recent report published by the Department of Revenue shows that Oregon state-licensed dispensaries sold $42.2 million worth of recreational marijuana in June and July combined. This comes after selling $59.6 million worth from January to May.

Williams farm with elaborate greenhouse operation underscores huge growth in local marijuana industry.

Josephine County's growing marijuana industry is experiencing growing pains.

The number of medical marijuana grow sites in the county has remained steady from a year ago, at about 2,500.

But growers who sell to retailers have been sprouting up — 38 new state-issued licenses have been granted this summer to people who plan to grow for the recreational market. More applications are pending.

Pivoting to take advantage of retailer preference for indoor-grown marijuana, these new operations are springing up in former pastures and fields across the county.

This week, Nathan Martinez’s family will head to the Oregon state fair to view the prize-winning plants he’s hydroponically grown and lovingly cultivated: both the sativa super sour diesel and the indica granddaddy purple.

That’s right: one of the nation’s most family-friendly traditions – synonymous with the tilt-a-whirl, funnel cake and blue ribbon pigs – will feature marijuana plants.

“Cannabis is taking its rightful place next to tomatoes and other agriculture,” said Don Morse, with the Oregon Cannabis Business Council, noting that it’s the first time pot plants have been displayed at a state fair.

Use these insider tips to get in on the Green Rush.

Oregon medical marijuana dispensaries have sold an estimated $102 million in recreational cannabis since January, when the state imposed a 25 percent sales tax on pot.

The state has collected about $25.5 million in marijuana taxes in the first six months of the year and is on track to meet state economists' projections.

The latest tax figures, released Monday by the Oregon Department of Revenue, include the start of marijuana-infused edibles sales. The products include a wide variety of snacks, sweets and drinks and were available to anyone 21 and older starting in June.

The popularity of edibles was hard to project because it's difficult to measure the black market for them, said Mazen Malik, a senior state economist with the Office of Legislative Revenue. 

If L.A. has cannabis cocktails, surely Portland should have them, right?

People flocked to Oregon's first-ever marijuana growers' fair on Saturday where a competition for best cannabis plants was being held, with the winners to be displayed at the Oregon State Fair.

The inaugural two-day Oregon Cannabis Growers' Fair underscores how the once-illicit marijuana industry is starting to go mainstream in Oregon, one of four states to have legalized recreational cannabis use, along with Washington, D.C.

When Krista Ledbetter put some furniture for sale on Craigslist last month, the inquiries that started coming in from would-be buyers were puzzling.

“One of the first, all he said was to ask if I was ‘OMMP friendly’ for a trade,” Ledbetter said. “I didn’t even know what that meant, so I had to Google it to figure out he wanted to trade my furniture for weed.”

OMMP is shorthand for the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program. Dig through the listings on Craigslist and other online marketplaces long enough, and you’ll find scattered references to ‘OMMP’ and ‘MMJ,’ evidence of a barter economy where marijuana serves as currency.