What has a plentiful landscape of natural beauty, is famous for hatch green chiles, is the birthplace of Neil Patrick Harris, is the current residence to author George R.R. Martin (seriously, he has a day held in his honor annually on March 29), has a multitude of culture, and is also home to a bustling cannabis scene? We are proud to announce that we’ll be expanding our popular cannabis competition to New Mexico for the very first time! Welcome to the High Times Cannabis Cup New Mexico: People’s Choice Edition 2023.
New Mexico adult-use cannabis sales launched on April 1, 2022. On that day alone, consumers swarmed nearby dispensaries with a huge $3 million in sales during its first weekend and has kept a steady rise in sales ever since. Nearly one year later, the industry is thriving, and we know you’re ready to dive into some of the state’s best products.
For New Mexican consumers, here’s the deal: you have the power! Pick up one of our judge kits from our retail partners at Pecos Valley Productions (more to be announced soon) starting on June 17 through Aug. 20. We have 11 categories available for this cup:
Entry Categories:
Indica Flower (2 entries max per company)
Sativa Flower (2 entries max per company)
Hybrid Flower (2 entries max per company)
Pre-Rolls (2 entries max per company)
Infused Pre-Rolls (1 entry max per company)
Solvent Concentrates (2 entries max per company)
Non-Solvent Concentrates (2 entries max per company)
Vape Pens & Cartridges (2 entries max per company) (category may split)
Edibles: Gummies & Fruit Chews (2 entries max per company)
Edibles: Chocolates & Non-Gummies (2 entries max per company)
Sublinguals, Capsules, Tinctures + Topicals (3 entries max per company)
After you pick up your judge kit, log in to our online judge’s portal and let your comments be known. Depending on the category, judges are invited to carefully analyze their products with numerous criteria in mind. The aesthetics of a product and its packaging, aroma/scent, taste/flavor profile, and effects/effectiveness are just a few things we ask judges to consider. Depending on each product’s overall scores, we calculate which ones were most praised by judges, and will announce winners via a digital awards show on Sept. 3.
The goal of our People’s Choice Edition competition is to help put the spotlight and some of the most unique and one-of-a-kind products throughout the state. For those who want to enter the competition, you can submit your products to our intake partner, Pecos Valley Productions, between June 5-7. There are some rules for entry though, so please review the following information carefully:
Entry Requirements:
Flower: (228) 1-gram samples. We will not accept any 3.5-gram entries.
Pre-Rolls & Infused Pre-Rolls: (228) samples: Pre-Rolls will be capped at 2g flower-only each; Infused Pre-Rolls will be capped at 3g flower equivalency or 1g concentrate equivalency each.
Concentrates & Vape Pens: (228) .5-gram samples. We will not accept any 1-gram entries. Batteries required for carts.
The price for one entry is set at $250, which is non-refundable. Two entries are marked at $100 each, also non-refundable. However, if you submit three or more entries, each entry is $100 and it is a refundable deposit per entry held. You can get refunded when all entries are successfully submitted, and those fees are waived if you choose to become a sponsor of our event.
There are plenty of cannabis cups at this point, though perhaps the High Times Cannabis Cup is the most well-known. As mushrooms become a bigger deal, the question comes up, can they be judged in the same way? And the answer is a resounding yes! The company Oakland Hyphae is the first organization to create the Psilocybin Cup. Read on to find out more about it.
What is a cannabis cup exactly?
A cannabis cup is a competition whereby growers can compete on different levels to essentially see who has the best bud. Different aspects are judged, like potency, flavor, smell, how it looks, benefits, and how smooth the experience. Sometimes these competitions, like the High Times Cannabis Cup, also act as a trade show and festival for weed itself; including tie dying, body painting, lectures, and other fun activities. In the past, High Times Cups have even had high-class entertainment like Wu Tang Clan or Nas.
One of the benefits of participating in these events, is that it brings a lot of attention to winners, and is associated with increasing sales for those whose buds are judged as best. It’s also how we, the public, hear about new strains, some of which go on to become household names. And at the same time, it means we learn more and more about weed and these different strains in general.
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The High Times Cannabis Cup is one of the most popular and longest running of these competitions. It was founded back in 1988, and was originally held in Amsterdam, as at that time, Amsterdam was one of the more lenient places for weed use. It has since become an industry leader in the cannabis competition field. The panel of judges identifies the top three products per each judging category (mentioned above), and the top spot wins the trophy.
The Cannabis Cup used to be more of an underground thing, when weed was still completely illegal everywhere in the US. Then it morphed into a competition for medical products only, when that avenue was opening up. And now it, and similar competitions, operate openly, and usually hold their competitions in weed friendly states.
Many different people can be judges, including unknown names. However, some of the interesting past judges for the High Times Cup, include: “Tommy Chong, Snoop Dogg, Patti Smith, Wiz Khalifa, Joe Rogan, Damian Marley, Kid Cudi, Method Man, Redman, Rita Marley, B-Real, B.O.B., Alex Grey, and the Brotherhood of Eternal Love,” among others.
The High Times Cannabis Cup might be the most prestigious and well known, but its joined by a host of others, like “The WEEDYS Awards; Best Bud, D.C. State Fair; Cultivation Classic; Sticky Icky Carolina Cup & Title Belt Asheville NC 420; Dope Cup; Emerald Cup; High Times Medical Cannabis Cup; Northwest Cannabis Classic; Oregon Cannabis Growers’ Fair; Stony Awards; and The Grow-Off. These are all US competitions, but there are plenty more held internationally as well.
What’s the Hyphae Psilocybin Cup?
Right now, though cannabis cups are all the rage, there’s a new entrant into the world of judging drugs and giving awards: magic mushrooms. Not only are they being decriminalized and legalized in different places; but their overall growth in acceptance, has led to the opening and growth of markets. And this opens the door to similar competitions, in which psilocybin mushrooms compete against each other. As of yet, there is only one in the US, the Oakland Hyphae Psilocybin Cup, hosted by Oakland Hyphae.
The founder of the competition is one cool dude, and he’s quite the entrepreneur in the mushrooms field. The guy’s name is Reggie Harris, and not only is he a seasoned veteran of political campaigns, working on everything from city councils to presidential elections, but the guy is also one of those really awesome figures who sees the problems in his own neighborhood and fights for change. In Oakland, California, Reggie worked with the Black Organizing Project in West Oakland to institute guidance counselors, instead of police, in Oakland public schools.
Psilocybin Cup judges different aspects of magic mushrooms
He’s been in the mushrooms world a while, consulting and working with large-scale cultivators. Within the past few years, he established the company Oakland Hyphae, which hosts not just the Psilocybin Cup, but a range of nationwide conferences on psychedelics as well. He also created Hyphae Labs, which is a leader in testing for mushroom potency; as well as Hyphae Nootropics, which is geared toward providing products made from non-psychedelic mushrooms. On top of all this, he’s the creator of HyphaeLeaks, a news publication which among other things, seeks to promote small businesses and legacy operators.
What does theHyphae Psilocybin Cup judge?
So now we know a pretty cool guy, started a pretty cool competition, that acts like the many cannabis cups out there; except that its for magic mushrooms. But what exactly is the point of this competition, and what are the judges judging?
First off, this competition is (at least for now) solely about submissions of the specific magic mushrooms species Psilocybe cubensis, which is home to many popular strains. Hyphae Labs is the tester for all participants in these competitions. The lab looks at the percent of both psilocybin and psilocin in each specimen, and the percent of tryptamines as well. The results of these tests dictate some of the winners of the competition.
Awards are given in different categories, just like with cannabis cups. These include: the effects of the mushrooms, aesthetic appearance, and strength: which accounts for the balance created by both strength and overall effects. The titles given to winners include: Spiritual/Therapeutic Champion, Recreational Champion, Microdose Champion, and Bag Appeal Champion.
The very first Hyphae Psilocybin Cup was held in the spring of 2021. So far there have been four of these competitions. In both spring and fall of 2021, and both spring and fall of 2022. I unfortunately did not see information for a competition this spring (2023), but it’s quite possible the announcement is coming, or that it might be becoming a once-yearly competition. For information on the previous competitions and winners, you can look here.
As a side note, while the Amanita muscaria mushroom industry grows, it is not a part of this competition, as these mushrooms contains different compounds for which Hyphae does not currently test. Perhaps in the future this will change. For those interested in how Amanita products fair in competition, this year’s People’s Choice Hemp Cup – also put out by High Times – actually has a couple products that include Amanita mushrooms.
How does such a competition help?
Remember that part under the cannabis cups section, when I said these competitions greatly help growers in gaining publicity; as well as introducing the public to more and new strains? Well, the same applies here. Plus, as a new field, with new compounds to measure and things to consider, this competition helps bring information and awareness on the topic in general, right to the masses.
Lab testing psilocybin mushrooms
According to one of the biologists and researchers at Hyphae Labs, Ian Bollinger, its hard to know how to dose mushrooms by weight alone, which is the general strategy, regardless of strain. This competition, and the lab itself, aim to bring more specific information to users, so things like dosing per strain can be more accurate.
Much like cannabis cups expanding our general knowledge, the Psilocybin Cup works similarly. With all the hundreds of samples submit to the lab as part of the competition, the organization is able to get a much better view of the landscape of potency between different Psilocybe cubensis strains. Which means more information, and more precise purchasing and dosing strategies, for users.
Want to be a part of it?
Unfortunately, no information is posted yet for the next Hyphae Psilocybin Cup. But registration is generally announced not long before the competition is held. Anyone with a submission to make, is welcome to register and participate. Information for registration for the competition is posted on the Oakland Hyphae site. Alternatively, (since its not there yet), you can contact the company directly for further details. You may use the contact form from the website, which is here.
While registration is open to anyone, there’s less information available for the requirements that actually get a mushroom grower approved for entry. Once you’ve registered, the company will contact you with more information for submitting your product, with plenty of further information on how exactly the submission process goes.
I see no information stipulating an end to this competition, so I expect a Psilocybin Cup will be held sometime in 2023. However, as mentioned, I also see nothing specifically related to it yet. With the mushrooms industry only growing, there are sure to be more of these competitions popping up in the next few years; so interested and prospective registrants should definitely pay attention. We’ll be sure to keep you updated!
Conclusion
It was bound to happen. Cannabis cups are huge because cannabis is huge. And as the magic mushrooms industry grows, so does the desire for competition. Reggie Harris sure made something special with the Hyphai Psilocybin Cup; and we should all keep our eyes out for information on the next competition.
Psilocybin mushrooms
This competition is certainly one to keep track of. But with psychedelics (and hallucinogens, in general) growing in popularity, there are plenty more events to check out. In the US, here are some of the psychedelics events you definitely don’t want to miss this year. And if you’re not in America, or looking for a good reason to travel, check out these events, which happen worldwide.
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Earlier this month, we announced the launch of the High Times Cannabis Cup People’s Edition in Michigan, but now we’re hyping up the West Coast for the return of its own People’s Choice Awards! Welcome to the High Times Cannabis Cup SoCal: People’s Choice Edition 2023, a recreational-only competition celebrating some of the best cannabis products in the region.
The SoCal Cannabis Cup was first introduced in 2015, where it thrived as an in-person event between 2015-2019. Back in 2015, strains like Flower Bomb Kush, True OG, and Amnesia Haze were the cream of the crop, and categories like “Best Booth” and “Best Glass” were still commonplace. The pandemic may have put a halt to in-person events, but the People’s Choice has taken the nation by storm, with a People’s Choice competition held for SoCal in both 2020 (with winners announced in 2021) and 2022. In 2021, huge favorites like Biscotti, Gelonade, and Lemon Sponge Cake took first place, among a varied selection of pre-rolls, edibles, and more. Our 2022 SoCal: People’s Choice Edition was one of the biggest cups so far, with winners such as Top Shelf Cultivation’s Whoa Si Whoa, Sense’s Pink Certz Flower, Wizard Trees’s Studio 54, and Team Elite Genetics’s Pearadise Flower—just a few of the amazing strains that won over our judges.
Fast forward to this year’s High Times Cannabis Cup SoCal: People’s Choice Edition 2023, and we’re expecting another exciting collection of products to experience. With that in mind, here’s the schedule for this year: Product submissions will be dropped off at the Moxie Lynwood facility between May 8-10. Then our official intake partner, Moxie, will build the judge kits and then we’ll transport the kits to all participating High Times and Have a Heart retailers. On May 20, judge kits will officially go on sale! Judges will have between May 21 to July 10 to test out their goodies, submitting their thoughts on product differentiators such as aesthetics, aroma/scent, taste/flavor, effects/effectiveness, and so much more.
According to High Times Director of Competitions Mark Kaz, 2021 was a record-breaking year in terms of participation. “Twenty-one Cups, 339 brands, 1,389 batches of entries, all judged by about 15,000 judges who helped crown 249 award-winners for best products in their state,” Kaz said. “Our industry is going through a tough recession, restrictive regulations, and plenty of other woes, but one thing that’s for certain is that people want to find out who has the best weed, and we’re here to help.”
For companies who want to submit products for this year’s competition, please refer to the following rules.
Entry Categories:
Indica Flower (2 entries max per company)
Sativa Flower (2 entries max per company)
Hybrid Flower (2 entries max per company)
Pre-Rolls (2 entries max per company)
Infused Pre-Rolls (1 entry max per company)
Solvent Concentrates (2 entries max per company)
Non-Solvent Concentrates (2 entries max per company)
Vape Pens & Cartridges (2 entries max per company)
Edibles: Gummies & Fruit Chews (3 entries max per company)
Edibles: Chocolates & Non-Gummies (3 entries max per company)
Edibles: Beverages (2 entries max per company)
Sublinguals, Capsules, Tinctures + Topicals (3 entries max per company)
Entry Requirements:
Flower: (228) 1-gram samples. We will not accept any 3.5-gram entries.
Pre-Rolls & Infused Pre-Rolls: (228) samples: Pre-Rolls will be capped at 2g flower-only each; Infused Pre-Rolls will be capped at 3g flower equivalency or 1g concentrate equivalency each.
Concentrates & Vape Pens: (228) .5-gram samples. We will not accept any 1-gram entries. Batteries required for Carts.
Edibles: (100) samples with 100mg THC max.
Beverages: must be a max of 16 fluid ounces, non-glass containers preferred.
Sublinguals, Capsules, Tinctures + Topicals: (60) samples with 500mg THC max
In terms of submission pricing, competitors should note the entry fees depending on how many products they submit. While one entry is $250, and two entries is $100 per entry (both non-refundable), submissions of three or more entries is a $100 refundable deposit per entry held, which is refunded when all entries are successfully submitted. Finally, if you’d like to sponsor this year’s High Times Cannabis Cup SoCal: People’s Choice Edition 2023 then all entry fees are waived. We also offer multiple tiers of sponsorship, including General, Bronze, Silver, and Presenting Sponsorships.
That sums up the details of our event this year but check out our High Times Cannabis Cup website to view all of the details.
We’re excited to see the product lineup as it begins to develop, but we’re even more excited to announce that we have pumped our number of categories to 20 this year—that’s three more categories than last year! This year we welcome the expansion of Solvent Gummies and Non-Solvent Gummies to the Edibles categories. We’ve also expanded our Medical categories as well to include Medical Concentrates and Medical Infused Pre-Rolls, but you can check out the whole list in its entirety here:
Entry Categories
Rec Indica Flower (4 entries Max per Company) (State-Licensed Adult-Use)
Rec Sativa Flower (4 entries Max per Company) (State-Licensed Adult-Use)
Rec Hybrid Flower (4 entries Max per Company) (State-Licensed Adult-Use)
Rec Pre-Rolls (3 entries Max per Company) (State-Licensed Adult-Use)
Rec Infused Pre-Rolls (2 entries Max per Company) (State-Licensed Adult-Use)
Rec Solvent Concentrates (2 entries Max per Company) (State-Licensed Adult-Use)
Rec Non-Solvent Concentrates (2 entries Max per Company) (State-Licensed Adult-Use)
Rec Distillate Vape Pens & Cartridges (2 entries Max per Company) (State-Licensed Adult-Use)
Rec Non-Distillate Vape Pens & Cartridges (2 entries Max per Company) (State-Licensed Adult-Use)
Rec Edibles: Solvent Gummies (3 entries Max per Company) (State-Licensed Adult-Use)
Rec Edibles: Non-Solvent Gummies (3 entries Max per Company) (State-Licensed Adult-Use)
Rec Edibles: Non-Gummies (3 entries Max per Company) (State-Licensed Adult-Use)
Rec Sublinguals, Capsules, Tinctures + Topicals (3 Entries Max per Company) (State-Licensed Adult-Use)
Medical Indica Flower (4 Entries Max per Company) (State-Licensed Medical-Facility)
Medical Sativa Flower (4 Entries Max per Company) (State-Licensed Medical-Facility)
Medical Hybrid Flower (4 Entries Max per Company) (State-Licensed Medical-Facility)
Medical Pre-Rolls (4 Entries Max per Company) (State-Licensed Medical-Facility)
Medical Concentrates (4 Entries Max per Company) (State-Licensed Medical-Facility)
Medical Infused Pre-Rolls (4 Entries Max per Company) (State-Licensed Medical-Facility)
Medical Edibles (3 Entries Max per Company) (State-Licensed Medical-Facility)
Can’t wait to get started? Neither can we! Participation for the High Times Cannabis Cup Michigan: People’s Choice Edition 2023 begins on between March 20-30 as the window for submissions. Just in time for 4/20, we’ll have kits available starting on April 15 at participating locations. We’ll give our honored judges just over two months to properly sample and review all of the submissions in their kit, with a deadline of June 25. Finally, just a few weeks after that, we’ll announce the winners on July 9.
Winners receive the coveted High Times Cannabis Cup trophy, a longtime symbol of quality in the cannabis community. It was designed by Alex and Allyson Grey, made from zinc and 24k gold plating.
Judges will analyze the products in their kits through a variety of criteria. For Flower, Pre-rolls, Vape Pens, and Concentrates, judges will take note of a product’s aesthetics, aroma/scent, taste/flavor profile, burnability, effects/effectiveness, and terpene profile. Edibles have a slightly different list of considerations, including packaging and labeling. Finally, Topicals, Tinctures + Capsules judges are asked to review the “ease of use” in addition to other criteria.
Because the competition includes both recreational and medical products, the entry requirements differ slightly. From maximum weight limits on products and number of units submitted, we highly recommend that interested participants who want to submit their products adhere to the following requirements:
Entry Requirements
Recreational:
Flower: (228) 1g units. We will not accept any 3.5g entries.
Pre-Rolls & Infused Pre-Rolls: (228) units. Pre-Rolls will be capped at 2g flower-only each.
Infused Pre-Rolls will be capped at 3g flower-equivalency or 1g concentrate-equivalency each by METRC equations.
Concentrates & Vape Pens: (228) .5g units. We will not accept any 1g entries. Batteries required for Carts.
Edibles: (100) units with 100mg THC max.
Sublinguals, Capsules, Tinctures + Topicals: (60) units with 500mg THC max.
Medical:
Flower: (228) 1g units. We will not accept any 3.5g entries.
Pre-Rolls & Infused Pre-Rolls: (100) units: Pre-Rolls will be capped at 2g flower-only each.
Infused Pre-Rolls will be capped at 5g flower-equivalency or 5g concentrate-equivalency each by METRC equations.
Concentrates & Vape Pens: (100) .5g units. We will not accept any 1g entries. Batteries required for Carts.
Edibles: (100) units with 200mg THC max.
The cost of entry is set at $250 for one entry and $100 each for two (both non-refundable); for entries of three or more, it’s $100 each but the deposits per entry are refundable. If you’re interested in sponsoring the event, there are varied levels of sponsorship including Presenting Sponsorship, Silver Sponsorships, Bronze Sponsorships, and General Sponsorships.
Michigan really came out of the gates strong at last year’s Cup, so we can’t wait to see what these local brands bring to the table this year.
A huge thank you to our official intake partner Green Pharm.
Twenty-one Cups, 339 brands, 1,389 batches of entries, all judged by about 15,000 judges who helped crown 249 award-winners for best products in their state. Our industry is going through a tough recession, restrictive regulations, and plenty of other woes, but one thing that’s for certain is that people want to find out who has the best weed, and we’re here to help.
As a refresher on the new model, the Cannabis Cup People’s Choice concept opened up the competitions to a whole new world of possibilities. Switching from having a small pool of hand-selected judges, the People’s Choice model allowed consumers from all walks of life and palette types to be a judge. Now with up to 228 judge kits per category, judge kits are no longer reserved only for the Snoop Doggs and Frenchy Cannolis of the world (RIP Frenchy).
Ever seen people waiting in line for that new Supreme drop? You’ll find the same thing when the judge kits drop. Each Cannabis Cup consists of anywhere between 1,800-3,300 judge kits available across the state via hand-selected dispensaries that get a rush of consumers ready to grab their bag. With categories ranging from Indica Flower to Sativa Flower, Non-Solvent Concentrates to Edibles, and Topicals to Tinctures, there is something for every cannabis enthusiast. Judge kits come packed with products submitted into the Cup from brands well-known and obscure, all in hopes that judges will score them highest on Aesthetics, Aroma, Taste, Effects, Burnability, Terpene Profile and other criteria. Most importantly, we gather detailed comments from all judges, or at least the caring ones, on their experience – all impactful for the growers and processors to see what people truly, and anonymously, think. If you haven’t been a judge in the past because you were never selected, now is the time to get in on the action. Visit CannabisCup.com/Preregister to get updates.
Courtesy High Times
To many’s surprise, we started the year off in one of the most bustling cannabis markets, the state of Michigan. During 4/20 week, from Detroit to Ann Arbor, Kalamazoo to Crystal Falls, crowds of judges lined up early to be the first to get their hands on their judge kits, which varied between 17 different categories including medical and recreational products. With 3,300 judge kits, this was the biggest Cannabis Cup in history. I spent 26 cold days in Detroit for this one. Local community favorite, LocalGrove, came back with first place wins in several Flower categories with their Runtz and Brain Stew, while newcomers FLWRPot and Society C slid in to take home 1st place wins for Tropicanna Cherry under Rec Hybrid Flower and Spritzer under Rec Indica Flower, respectively. We saw the infamous CannaBoys come out from the darkness to win Best Medical Pre-Rolls and Rec Non-Infused Pre-Rolls with their Zhits Fire Cannonz, while fresh collabs stole the Concentrates show including Pro Gro x Element plus Glorious Cannabis Co. x Superior Solventless. Afternoon Delite, KIVA, Binske, Church x Pressure Pack, Pro Gro, and Hypha all came home with 1st place trophies.
Returning to our backyard here in California, we brought together 150 entries across 57 brands that came in with unique strains and product types for our judges. Thanks to our 7 High Times dispensaries, plus Green Dragon shops, we had 2,000 judges voting across 11 categories. Top-Shelf Cultivation returned with 1st Place trophies for Indica Flower and Pre-Rolls for their Whoa-Si-Whoa strain, while Team Elite Genetics and SENSE took 1st in Sativa and Hybrid flower, respectively. Jeeter, Bear Labs, PAX, Sensi, Bhang, Mari Y Juana, Dr. May, and Kan-Ade are amongst the 1st Place winners as well. Honestly though, there are too many great cultivars in CA that aren’t competing and simply letting other people take home the gold. We’re hoping to change that.
We ventured off into the mountains of Colorado in June to see who’s been bringing the fire since our last Denver Cup in 2020. High Level Health kept their streak going with 1st Place Indica Flower, Hybrid Flower and Solvent Concentrates, while Veritas took 1st Place Sativa Flower. I have to give a nod to D’Z Trees Honolulu Choo Choo which took 2nd Place Sativa and kept me running like a train during this laborious 3-week process. The AKTA Tropicanna Banana Live Rosin was a huge fan favorite; taking home 1st Place Non-Solvent Concentrates. High Country Cones, Nectar Bee, Evolab, Mountain Select, Smokiez, Incredibles and Escape Artists joined the 1st place podium as well.
Excited to return to my Midwestern stomping grounds (I lived in Cleveland for 5 years), we ran the 3rd-ever Cup in Illinois, launching it with a small judging session at the RISE Consumption Lounge in Mundelein where judges came together as a community to smoke and discuss terpene profiles of each entry. Highly-regarded Fig Farms expanded into the state this year and took home 1st Place Sativa Flower, while behemoths Rythm and RevCanna took home 1st in Indica Flower and Hybrid Flower, respectively. RevCanna won several awards including 1st Place for Concentrates with their Gorilla’d Cheese Rosin which one judge describes as “Hands down the most potent and volatile terpenes in the kit” while another judge claims “The smell is so weird it may polarize a household worse than the 2020 election.” Other 1st place trophies went to Nature’s Grace and Wellness, Superflux, Mindy’s, Verano Reserve, Beboe, Incredibles and Bedford Grow.
Courtesy High Times
Next up, we froze our butts off and explored the beautiful ranges of the Last Frontier up in Alaska, where the sun was shining until 10:30pm everyday. No MSOs, just local craft cultivators putting their hearts into their products. High North was a huge standout with all of their flower, but their Black Koffee takes the cake for Indica Flower. One judge noted that “The robust dark roast flavor comes through smoothly” and “the aches and pains drift away as you melt into the surroundings.” I’ll take some of that please. AM Delight and Flower Mountain Farms respectively brought home trophies for Sativa Flower and Hybrid Flower, while the highly sought-after Refine Alaska wowed judges with their Royal Gorilla Loud Resin for first place. GOOD Cannabis, Enlighten Extracts, Einstein Labs, Dosed Edibles, and Great Northern Cannabis were amongst the 1st place winners as well.
Last Cup of the year, but not least, the Commonwealth called us back for the 2nd annual Cannabis Cup in September. People in Massachusetts are very discerning and don’t take kindly to bullshit; it was very apparent in their judging comments. That said, Happy Valley powered a winning streak with Hybrid Flower, Sativa Flower, Beverages and Sativa Gummies, while Northeast Alternatives brought in 1st Place Indica Flower for their Runtz OG. First place trophies also went home with Treeworks, Triple M, Munchèas by GGG, Smokiez, Incredibles, Sticky Fish as well as Church x Pressure Pack.
Courtesy High Times
The Cannabis Cups are for consumers to learn about all of the products they have access to and to determine who is the best of the best in their state. They’re also for the brands to learn more about their customer base and improve their products so that consumers get what they deserve. We will continue to plan and execute Cannabis Cups in territories where it’s legal, and continue to shine a light on the Cannabis Cup-winning brands around the world in 2023 and beyond. Thanks to everyone involved in each and every one of these Cups.
To see all Cannabis Cup People’s Choice winners and upcoming competitions, visit CannabisCup.com. Interested in competing? Email Competition@hightimes.com Interested in Judging? Sign up for updates at CannabisCup.com/Preregister Stay tuned on social media @hightimesmagazine
It’s time once again to officially announce that the High Times Hemp Cup: People’s Choice Edition is coming soon! Since 2020, we’ve celebrated a variety of different High Times People’s Choice Cups and can’t wait to see what’s in store for this one. While many of our other People’s Choice competitions focus on products from a single market, the Hemp Cup covers competitors throughout the entire country. We’re calling on everyone to put their best products forward.
This year, we’re upgrading the categories in the High Times Hemp Cup by welcoming three legal psychoactive groups that will make the selection of offerings even more irresistible.
COMPETITION CATEGORIES: (LIMITED SLOTS AVAILABLE PER CATEGORY, WITH A MAXIMUM OF 3 ENTRIES PER COMPANY PER CATEGORY)
Hemp-Derived CBD Edibles: Gummies & Fruit Chews (NON-PSYCHOACTIVE ONLY) Hemp-Derived CBD Edibles: Non-Gummies (NON-PSYCHOACTIVE ONLY) (No Liquids above 1 FL OZ allowed) Hemp-Derived CBD Tinctures + Capsules (NON-PSYCHOACTIVE ONLY) (No Liquids above 1 FL OZ allowed) Hemp-Derived CBD Topicals (NON-PSYCHOACTIVE ONLY) Hemp-Derived CBD Flower and Pre-Rolls (NON-PSYCHOACTIVE ONLY) Hemp-Derived CBD Concentrates and Vape Pens (NON-PSYCHOACTIVE ONLY) Hemp-Derived CBD Pet Products (NON-PSYCHOACTIVE ONLY) Legal Psychoactive Flower and Pre-Rolls (D8, D10, HHC, THCO, THCV, etc) Legal Psychoactive Concentrates and Vape Pens (D8, D10, HHC, THCO, THCV, etc) Legal Psychoactive Edible: Gummies (D8, D10, HHC, THCO, THCV, etc) Legal Psychoactive Edible: Non-Gummies (D8, D10, HHC, THCO, THCV, etc)(No Liquids above 1 FL OZ allowed) *NON-PSYCHOACTIVE IS DEFINED AS CBD, CBG, CBN PRODUCTS ONLY
A competition of this magnitude takes some serious coordination, and the sheer amount of interest means that we’re planning this competition months in advance. As such, the following deadlines are subject to change, but here’s the deal:
Competitors will have between Jan. 30, 2023-Feb. 3, 2023 to submit their products for consideration. After that, judge kits will go on sale starting on Feb. 10. Unlike our market-specific competitions, the Hemp Cup kits will be available for online ordering in every state. Judges will have two months (between Feb. 10-April 2) to explore the wide variety of products they receive. We tally the scores and celebrate another successful High Times Hemp Cup: People’s Choice Edition on April 16—just in time for 4/20!
There are a few things that potential competitors should know. First, slots are limited. With a pool of products coming from all 50 states, it’s best to get your stuff submitted soon if you want to be considered. Second, there’s a cap of two entries per company, per category. Third, for each entry you must submit 80 samples of the same sku. Also, note that flower and pre-roll submissions should be limited to 3.5 grams maximum, and 3 grams maximum for concentrates and vape pens (anything submitted with more will not be accepted). Those are some of the important components to qualify, but we’ll send more info after you’ve been confirmed for participation.
While there is a $500 non-refundable deposit for each entry, we are offering a deal with submissions: If you submit three to four entries, you get one more free. Submit five to seven, get two more free, etc. If you have any questions about this, check outcannabiscup.com.
What will 2023 have in store for us this time around? Who will be honored as one of the nation’s next best brands in hemp? Will our new “legal psychoactive” categories impress the judges? Only time will tell.
Voters in Massachusetts passed adult-use cannabis in 2016, and sales began two years later in 2018. Since then, this small but mighty state that is known for being the home of the pilgrims who arrived on the Mayflower way back in the 17th century, among other things. Hundreds of years later, the commonwealth of Massachusetts has become a bustling cannabis market filled with potential. A recent report found that cannabis is the sixth most valuable crop in the U.S, and is believed to also be the number one agricultural crop in Alaska, Massachusetts, and New Jersey.
When sales began in Massachusetts, there were only two licensed retailers. By October 2020, the state had over 80 operating stores, and had collected more than $1 billion in sales and $170 million in tax revenue.
If that data isn’t enough to impress, then we urge you to explore the official winners of the High Times Cannabis Cup Massachusetts: People’s Choice Edition 2022 for yourselves. We announced this cup back in July, and a wide variety of up-and-coming cannabis brands came up to the plate. Everything from delicious edibles, vapes, concentrates, and of course, strains, these winners were chosen by the people—and they’re absolutely worth checking out.
Topicals + Tinctures + Capsules
First Place: Treeworks – Blueberry Entourage Jungle Drops
Courtesy of Treeworks
Second Place: The Fix – Cooling 1:1 Balm
Courtesy of The Fix
Third Place: The Pass – Muscle Gel
Courtesy of The Pass
Beverages
First Place: Happy Valley – Raspberry Lemonade X-Cell Nano Stir Stix
Courtesy of Happy Valley
Second Place: Vibations – Pomegranate Blueberry Acai Energizing Drink Mix
Courtesy of Vibations
Third Place: Wynk – Juicy Mango Seltzer
Courtesy of Wynk
Chocolate Non-Gummies
First Place: Munchèas by GGG – Chocolate Macarons
Courtesy of Munchèas by GGG
Second Place: Insa – Double Caramel Sea Salt
Courtesy of Insa
Third Place: Meltdown – Key Lime Pie Chocolate Bar
Courtesy to Meltdown
Fruity Non-Gummies
First Place: Smokiez – Sour Watermelon Fruit Chews
Courtesy of Smokies
Second Place: Munchèas by GGG – Infused Honey Sticks
Courtesy of Munchèas by GGG
Third Place: Hi-Burst – Raspberry Lemonade Fruit Chews
Courtesy of Hi-Burst
Indica Gummies
First Place: incredibles – Snoozzzeberry Indica Gummies
Courtesy of incredibles
Second Place: Cannatini – Sour Grape Sangria Indica RSO Gummies
Courtesy of Cannatini
Third Place: Kanha – Passionfruit Paradise Indica Gummies
Courtesy of Kanha
Sativa Gummies
First Place: Happy Valley – Strawberry Lemonade X-Cell Sativa Gummies
Courtesy of Happy Valley
Second Place: Hashables – Watermelon Jolt Solventless Infused Sativa Bites
Courtesy of Hashables
Third Place: Treeworks – Focus Citrus Sativa Hummies
Courtesy of Treeworks
Non-Distillate Vapes
First Place: Sticky Fish – Golden Bough Live Resin Vape
Courtesy of Sticky Fish
Second Place: Origyn – MAC1 Live Rosin Vape
Courtesy of Origyn
Third Place: Treeworks – Cake Crasher Live Rosin Vape
Courtesy of Treeworks
Distillate Vapes
First Place: Church x Pressure Pack – Super Pure Runtz Vape
Courtesy of Church
Second Place: Fernway – Berry Haze Vape
Courtesy of Fernway
Third Place: Rove – Skywalker Vape
Courtesy of Rove
Concentrates
First Place: Treeworks – California Raisins Live Rosin
Courtesy of Treeworks
Second Place: Happy Valley – White Wedding Live Hash Rosin
Courtesy of Happy Valley
Third Place: Garden Remedies – Apple Kugel Live Rosin
Courtesy of Garden Remedies
Pre-Rolls
First Place: Triple M – Triple Monster Infused Pre-Roll
Courtesy of Triple M
Second Place: Southie Adams – Sundaze Dr. Lime #10 Infused Blunt
Courtesy of Southie Adams
Third Place: Happy Valley – End Game Cookies Pre-Roll
Organizing each of our High Times People’s Choice Cannabis Cups is no easy feat. We announced the arrival of the first People’s Choice competition for Alaska back in May, and with the efforts of our incredible team, we wrangled up some of the best local products and prepared them for you, the people, to judge.
The competition was fierce, and we carefully calculated our most recent voting data to award points based on a number of important factors, including taste, smell, and effects. It’s a cannasseur’s dream to be able to experience such a wide variety of great products that Alaska has to offer, all in one place.
Now, the people have spoken once again! Check the results of the winners of the High Times Cannabis Cup Alaska: People’s Choice Edition 2022. Did your favorite product make the cut? Are you an out-of-towner looking to check out Alaska wares? From indica flower to pre-rolls, edibles, and so much more, we’re proud to present the latest winners of the High Times Cannabis People’s Choice competition.
Indica Flower
First Place: High North – Black Koffee
Courtesy of High North
Second Place: Enlighten Gardens – OGKB 2.1
Courtesy of Enlighten Gardens
Third Place: Cannabaska – Ghost OG
Courtesy of Cannabaska
Sativa Flower
First Place: AM Delight x Moose Gardens – Chem Dog
Courtesy of AM Delight
Second Place: Parallel 64 – Buddha
Courtesy of Parallel 64
Third Place: High North – Blood Orange
Courtesy of High North
Hybrid Flower
First Place: Flower Mountain Farms – Super Boof
Courtesy of Flower Mountain Farms
Second Place: Cannabaska – Oreoz
Courtesy of Cannabaska
Third Place: Good Cannabis – Gorilla Glue #4
Courtesy of Good Cannabis
Non-Infused Pre-Rolls
First Place: Good Cannabis – Blaze Orange King Pre-Roll
Courtesy of Good Cannabis
Second Place: Tanana Herb Co – Coco Haze Pre-Roll
Courtesy of Tanana Herb Co
Third Place: Enlighten Gardens – Tropicana Cherry Pre-Roll
Courtesy of Enlighten Gardens
Infused Pre-Rolls
First Place: Enlighten Extracts – The Ring of Fire Infused Pre-Roll
Courtesy of Enlighten Extracts
Second Place: Great Northern Cannabis – Critical Hit Infused Pre-Roll
Courtesy of Great Northern Cannabis
Third Place: Einstein Labs – 10 Second Amnesia Caviar Joint
Courtesy of Einstein Labs
Concentrates & Extracts
First Place: Refine Alaska – Royal Gorilla Loud Resin
Courtesy of Refine Alaska
Second Place: AKO Farms – Yerbert x Rainbow Belts Sugar Wax
Courtesy of AKO Farms
Third Place: G2 – Honey Banana Badder
Courtesy of G2
Vape Pens & Cartridges
First Place: Einstein Labs – Obsession Distillate Vape
Courtesy of Einstein Labs
Second Place: Frog Mountain – Apple Sherbet E Sirius Pod
Courtesy of Frog Mountain
Third Place: Canamo – Fruity Pebbles OG Sauce E-Stick
Edibles: Gummies
First Place: Dosed Edibles Alaska – Watermelon Gummies
Courtesy of Dosed Edibles Alaska
Second Place: Canamo – Sour Strawberry Gummies
Courtesy of Canamo
Third Place: Stoney Moose Kitchens – Key Lime Gummy Squares
Courtesy of Stoney Moose Kitchens
Edibles: Non-Gummies
First Place: Great Northern Cannabis – North Infusions Milk Chocolate Bar
Courtesy of Great Northern Cannabis
Second Place: Stoney Moose Kitchens – Moose Nugz
Courtesy of Stoney Moose Kitchens
Third Place: Enlighten Extracts – Chocolate Chip Cookie with Peanut Butter
The High Times Cannabis Cup Illinois: People’s Choice 2022 winners are in—and there are some seriously awesome products on that list! A Cannabis Cup award is a badge of honor that sets brands apart from the competition, and some of these folks now get to claim that honor.
The High Times Cannabis Cup Illinois: People’s Choice Edition is aimed to identify and award the best cannabis products from across the state, while representing an assortment of 11 different categories, with many of the entries being exclusive to the Illinois cannabis market.
To make things even better, the judging this year was not done by a select few at High Times—it was done by the people in the great state of Illinois.
Check out our winners below, and next time you’re at the dispensary, see what all the fuss is about and give them some love.
Courtesy of High Times
Indica Flower
First Place: Rythm – Brownie Scout
Courtesy of Rythm
Second Place: Bedford Grow – I-95
Courtesy of Bedford Grow
Third Place: RevCanna – Peach Crescendo
Courtesy of RevCanna
Sativa Flower
First Place: Fig Farms – Figment
Courtesy of Fig Farms
Second Place: UPNORTH – Durban Poison
Courtesy of UPNORTH
Third Place: RevCanna – Miami Punch
Courtesy of Floracal
Hybrid Flower
First Place: RevCanna – Gorilla’d Cheese
Courtesy of RevCanna
Second Place: Aeriz – Jenny Kush
Courtesy of Aeriz
Third Place: Floracal – Vanilla Cake
Courtesy of Floracal
Pre-Rolls
First Place: Nature’s Grace and Wellness – Honey Bun Solventless Live Rosin Moon Walkers
Courtesy of Nature’s Grace and Wellness
Second Place: Terp Stix – Blueberry Cookies Infused Pre-Roll
Courtesy of Terp Stix
Third Place: Triple 7 – Tropical Runtz Pre-Roll
Courtesy of Triple 7
Concentrates and Extracts
First Place: RevCanna – Gorilla’d Cheese Rosin
Courtesy of RevCanna
Second Place: Rythm – LIVE Grapefruit Sour Diesel
Courtesy of Rythm
Third Place: Floracal – Banana Runtz Badder
Courtesy of Floracal
Vape Pens
First Place: Superflux – Margalope Live Resin Vape
Courtesy of Superflux
Second Place: Floracal – Candy Rain Cart
Courtesy of Floracal
Third Place: RevCanna – Peach Lemonade Terp Tank Cartridge
Courtesy of RevCanna
Edibles: Gummies
First Place: Mindy’s – Berries Gummies
Courtesy of Mindy’s
Second Place: Matter – Cherry Cola Gummy Bites
Courtesy of Matter
Third Place: Bedford Grow – Citrus Twist Gems
Courtesy of Bedford Grow
Edibles: Non-Gummies
First Place: Incredibles – Windy City Bites
Courtesy of Incredibles
Second Place: Nature’s Grace and Wellness – Mint Cookie Milk Chocolate Crunch Bar
Courtesy of Nature’s Grace and Wellness
Third Place: Sweet Life – Citrus Blue Caramel
Courtesy of Sweet Life
Medical Flower
First Place: Verano Reserve – Guru 0
Courtesy of Verano Reserve
Second Place: RevCanna – Buttermilk Biscuits
Courtesy of RevCanna
Third Place: Rythm – Orange Herijuana
Courtesy of Rythm
Medical Vape Pens
First Place: Beboe – Inspired Pen
Courtesy of Beboe
Second Place: Nature’s Grace and Wellness – Joos Skywalker Live Resin Disposable Pen
Courtesy of Nature’s Grace and Wellness
Third Place: Verano Reserve – Sunshine OG Live Resin Vape
Courtesy of Verano Reserve
Medical Edibles
First Place: Bedford Grow – Strawberry Lemonade Gems
Courtesy of Bedford Grow
Second Place: Nature’s Grace and Wellness – Birthday Cake Pretzel Balls
THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, is the principal psychoactive compound found in cannabis. Prohibitive cannabis laws define the plant based on THC levels, and in the United States, cannabis with less than 0.3% THC on a dry weight basis is non-psychoactive and therefore considered hemp.
Until recent years, consumers at the dispensary counter were primarily only concerned about jockeying for the cannabis and concentrates with the maximum amount of THC. Today, they’re smartening up and asking more about terpene and other cannabinoid content. THC, however, remains the most crucial compound overall in terms of the plant’s psychoactive high.
There are multiple reasons for seeking high-THC levels in products beyond shooting for the most potent effect. One benefit of high-THC products for medical patients, for instance, is that high-THC products can provide relief while limiting the amount of smoke and thus reducing harm.
Courtesy of High Times
The Chemistry of Higher THC Products
SC (Science of Cannabis) Labs opened in 2010 in Capitola, California. Co-founded by Jeff Gray, Josh Wurzer, Alec Dixon, and Ian Rice, the company helped develop some of the industry’s first testing standards.
“Early on, we emphasized testing cannabinoids and specifically THC,” SC Labs President and Co-Founder Josh Wurzer says. “The THC content became very associated with the perception of quality in cannabis. That was the only quantitative metric you had to describe the cannabis—the percentage of cannabinoids.”
Examining high THC levels is one of Wurzer’s focuses, as he applied for several cannabis-related patents, some related to the improvement of the extraction of cannabis.
Today, many people still equate higher THC concentrations with better quality.
“That’s just not the case,” Wurzer says. “When we look at these different events—High Times Cannabis Cups and The Emerald Cup—the winners usually don’t have any higher THC percentage. They almost always have a greater average terpene concentration. What consumers should be looking for is the terpene concentration of the products they’re buying.”
The over-emphasis on THC is partly due to chemistry and the way THC is quickly depleted. THC is, in fact, surprisingly quite delicate once the smoking process begins.
“The THC percentage isn’t really that important in an inhalable product,” Wurzer continues. “You’re exhaling the vast majority of the THC you’re inhaling. Really, you could just hold the hit in longer, but the THC concentration doesn’t even necessarily get you higher. What makes [cannabis] taste better and makes the effects more pronounced is the terpene concentration, and that’s where consumers should be looking.”
While it’s the most powerful psychoactive compound in cannabis, THC is best experienced the natural way, combined with other compounds.
Shutterstock
The Highest THC Concentrates
Just how high in THC percentage can concentrates get? Some approach pure THC.
“I’ve seen people make 99% concentrate distillate—purified THC—but I wouldn’t want to smoke it,” SC Labs Director of Client Relations and Co-founder Alec Dixon says. “I wouldn’t want to consume it. It would taste bad. It would be harsh. The higher concentration concentrates are generally not the most desirable.”
If the taste matters, a better metric for determining the quality of concentrates would be quite a lower amount of THC, he says. The way terps are preserved in live resin is one of the ways concentrates have improved over the past decade or so.
“Good live resin concentrate should be anywhere from 60 to 80% [THC], and that’s going to be the most flavorful,” Dixon says. “I’ve seen the best effects on live resin, and it’s generally considered to be a much more premium product than, say, like a distillate that’s in the 90s and that has artificial terpenes added to it.”
Dixon says that on the cultural side of things, it’s always been known to farmers that terpene content is way more of a predictive indicator of quality, evident when you open up a jar and bomb the whole neighborhood with the smell of great pot.
“Smell and aroma directly coordinate toward effect,” Dixon says. “In their absence, it’s quite a bland THC effect. Unfortunately, the market is so focused on THC. It’s bound to be terp-less and, [therefore] soulless. Part of what we do with the Emerald Cup and California State Fair is to sort everything by terpene. It comes down to personal preference. To me, my favorite profiles are gas and Haze, that terpinolene Jack Herer strain.”
SC Labs is among many labs that test for THC content, and variance depends on where the samples are taken.
“When it comes to potency, the top versus the middle versus the bottom bud, they can test very differently depending on how the farmer prunes their plant,” Dixon says. “The more leaves on the plants in the crucial parts of development, the bigger the variance is going to be from top to bottom.”
He says that most farmers who do canopy management and remove foliage remove way too much leaf, way too late in the flowering stage. As a result, areas in the middle and bottom sections are shaded by leaves, leading to massive variance in the potency levels of the buds depending on where they are grown.
Greenwolf dispensary has won many Cannabis Cup awards, too many to list in full, but a few concentrate wins stand out. In 2017, Greenwolf took home a barrage of awards at the Cannabis Cup, winning first place with MNG for “Best Sativa Concentrate” with their offering Nectarine. In 2018, Greenwolf won “Best Non-Solvent Hash” for Clementine in collaboration with Rosin Brothers. Greenwolf is known throughout Southern California as a trusted retailer.
Greenwolf hosted the Greenwolf Winter Zalympix Awards Ceremony on Jan. 22 in Los Angeles, featuring YG and Larry June, among other performers. It was an exotic cannabis competition with judges’ kits and an awards ceremony. Greenwolf also presented the Zalympix Championships on June 11 in collaboration with Secret Sesh. Competitors representing the winners of the summer and winter Zalympix events competed in a “Battle of the Champions.”
The Greenwolf team is used to people asking about THC levels and their importance to the smoking experience. Come to find out, they are bombarded with this question daily.
“I’ve been talking to actual customers all morning about this!” says Liz Caffrey, owner and COO of Greenwolf. “And it’s interesting because I feel like maybe two years ago, people literally just came in, and they didn’t care what the strain was called or who grew it. All they wanted to know from a budtender was what the THC percentage was.”
Caffrey says in the last year or so, people are getting more and more educated about what defines quality cannabis, and they’re starting to realize that the THC percentage is not always the sole compound that produces the plant’s effects.
“The terpenes play a large role in the actual effects that you feel,” Caffrey says. “And I do believe that the consumer is starting to realize this.”
Caffrey doesn’t really see anything over 40% THC—except for infused pre-rolls when it comes to flower. Infused pre-rolls are enhanced with concentrates such as wax, distillate, or diamonds. Caffrey says labels can be quite deceiving, as one brand could have stunning packaging with disappointedly subpar effects.
“I do feel like the consumer is finally starting to have brand loyalty in what I call ‘the new market.’ And they’re doing their own research, which is great,” she says.
Caffrey explains that people don’t realize that the feeling they get from a good sativa that has 20% THC but is grown well might also have a high limonene percentage, which can provide a mood boost.
“I feel like [THC levels] go hand-in-hand with pricing,” she says. “Like the consumers more willing to pay a higher price if the THC percentage is above 30. I consider high THC 30 to 40%.”
Caffrey says that in retail in California, pre-rolls are probably the number-one seller, and infused pre-rolls are the top-tier of these types of sales.
“A customer will look at an infused pre-roll in awe, as it can have a 50 to 80% THC profile, and they think, ‘I’m getting all that in this one gram!’”
When choosing a high-THC product, consider taking the advice from laboratory leaders such as SC Labs or retail leaders like Greenwolf. As anyone with experience will tell you, inform yourself of the terpene content as well as the THC.
