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 out cannabiscup.com. 

In the past, participants have extended some of the best hemp products in the nation—showing the rest of the world how it’s done. Originally we announced our first High Times People’s Choice Hemp Cup in December 2020, with winners announced in May 2021. Among the best were brands such as Grön, Myriam’s, Drip CBD, Hometown Hero, Windy Hill Hemp Co., and many more.

Winners of the Hemp Cup: People’s Choice 2022 were equally extraordinary, with winners coming from brands such as Sweet Sensi, 3Chi, Rove Remedies, Buddy’s Chocolate Haus, Horn Creek Hemp, and even Martha Stewart.

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.

A big thank you to our sponsors!

The Hemp Doctor – Presenting Sponsor

Indacloud – Silver Sponsor

CannaAid – Bronze Sponsor

The post Announcing the Highly Anticipated High Times Hemp Cup: People’s Choice Edition 2023 appeared first on High Times.

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

Second Place: The Fix – Cooling 1:1 Balm

Third Place: The Pass – Muscle Gel

Beverages

First Place: Happy Valley – Raspberry Lemonade X-Cell Nano Stir Stix

Second Place: Vibations – Pomegranate Blueberry Acai Energizing Drink Mix

Third Place: Wynk – Juicy Mango Seltzer

Chocolate Non-Gummies

First Place: Munchèas by GGG – Chocolate Macarons

Second Place: Insa – Double Caramel Sea Salt

Third Place: Meltdown – Key Lime Pie Chocolate Bar

Fruity Non-Gummies

First Place: Smokiez – Sour Watermelon Fruit Chews

Second Place: Munchèas by GGG – Infused Honey Sticks

Third Place: Hi-Burst – Raspberry Lemonade Fruit Chews

Indica Gummies

First Place: incredibles – Snoozzzeberry Indica Gummies

Second Place: Cannatini – Sour Grape Sangria Indica RSO Gummies

Third Place: Kanha – Passionfruit Paradise Indica Gummies

Sativa Gummies

First Place: Happy Valley – Strawberry Lemonade X-Cell Sativa Gummies

Second Place: Hashables – Watermelon Jolt Solventless Infused Sativa Bites

Third Place: Treeworks – Focus Citrus Sativa Hummies

Non-Distillate Vapes

First Place: Sticky Fish – Golden Bough Live Resin Vape

Second Place: Origyn – MAC1 Live Rosin Vape

Third Place: Treeworks x 253 – Cake Crasher Live Rosin Vape

Distillate Vapes

First Place: Church x Pressure Pack – Super Pure Runtz Vape

Second Place: Fernway – Berry Haze Vape

Third Place: Rove – Skywalker Vape

Concentrates

First Place: Treeworks x Smash Hits – California Raisins Live Rosin

Second Place: Happy Valley – White Wedding Live Hash Rosin

Third Place: Garden Remedies – Apple Kugel Live Rosin

Pre-Rolls

First Place: Triple M – Triple Monster Infused Pre-Roll

Second Place: Southie Adams – Sundaze Dr. Lime #10 Infused Blunt

Third Place: Happy Valley – End Game Cookies Pre-Roll

Hybrid Flower

First Place: Happy Valley – End Game Cookies

Second Place: NETA – Animal Zkittlez

Third Place: RYTHM – Afternoon Delight #4

Sativa Flower

First Place: Happy Valley – Super Lemon Haze

Second Place: Bailey’s Buds – Liberty Haze

Third Place: Nature’s Heritage – Guicy Banger

Indica Flower

First Place: Northeast Alternatives – Runtz OG

Second Place: RYTHM – Animal Face

Third Place: Cloud Cover – Katsu Bubba

A special shout out to our partners and sponsors!

NETA – Official Intake Partner

AYR Wellness – Presenting Sponsor

Green Gold Group – Silver Sponsor

Happy Valley – Bronze Sponsor

Coast Cannabis Co. – General Sponsor

Berkshire Roots – General Sponsor

The post The Winners of the High Times Cannabis Cup Massachusetts: People’s Choice Edition 2022 appeared first on High Times.

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

Second Place: Enlighten Gardens – OGKB 2.1

Third Place: Cannabaska – Ghost OG

Sativa Flower

First Place: AM Delight x Moose Gardens – Chem Dog

Second Place: Parallel 64 – Buddha

Third Place: High North – Blood Orange

Hybrid Flower

First Place: Flower Mountain Farms – Super Boof

Second Place: Cannabaska – Oreoz

Third Place: Good Cannabis – Gorilla Glue #4

Non-Infused Pre-Rolls

First Place: Good Cannabis – Blaze Orange King Pre-Roll

Second Place: Tanana Herb Co – Coco Haze Pre-Roll

Third Place: Enlighten Gardens – Tropicana Cherry Pre-Roll

Infused Pre-Rolls

First Place: Enlighten Extracts – The Ring of Fire Infused Pre-Roll

Second Place: Great Northern Cannabis – Critical Hit Infused Pre-Roll

Third Place: Einstein Labs – 10 Second Amnesia Caviar Joint

Concentrates & Extracts

First Place: Refine Alaska – Royal Gorilla Loud Resin

Second Place: AKO Farms – Yerbert x Rainbow Belts Sugar Wax

Third Place: G2 – Honey Banana Badder

Vape Pens & Cartridges

First Place: Einstein Labs – Obsession Distillate Vape

Second Place: Frog Mountain – Apple Sherbet E Sirius Pod

Third Place: Canamo – Fruity Pebbles OG Sauce E-Stick

Edibles: Gummies

First Place: Dosed Edibles Alaska – Watermelon Gummies

Second Place: Canamo – Sour Strawberry Gummies

Third Place: Stoney Moose Kitchens – Key Lime Gummy Squares

Edibles: Non-Gummies

First Place: Great Northern Cannabis – North Infusions Milk Chocolate Bar

Second Place: Stoney Moose Kitchens – Moose Nugz

Third Place: Enlighten Extracts – Chocolate Chip Cookie with Peanut Butter

A huge thank you to our partners and sponsors!

Enlighten Alaska – Official Intake and Retailer Partner

Raspberry Roots – Presenting Sponsor

Einstein Labs – Silver Sponsor

AM Delight – Bronze Sponsor

Green Growcer – General Sponsor

Top Hat Cannabis & Concentrates – General Sponsor

Secret Garden – General Sponsor

Great Northern Cannabis – General Sponsor

Cerberus Transecure – Exclusive Secure Transport Partner

Royal Supply Co. – Official Packaging Partner

The post The Winners of the High Times Cannabis Cup Alaska: People’s Choice Edition 2022 appeared first on High Times.

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. 

Indica Flower

First Place: Rythm – Brownie Scout

Second Place: Bedford Grow – I-95

Third Place: Revolution Cannabis – Peach Crescendo

Sativa Flower

First Place: Fig Farms – Figment

Second Place: UPNORTH – Durban Poison

Third Place: Revolution Cannabis – Miami Punch

Hybrid Flower

First Place: Revolution Cannabis – Gorilla’d Cheese

Second Place: Aeriz – Jenny Kush

Third Place: Floracal – Vanilla Cake

Pre-Rolls

First Place: Nature’s Grace and Wellness – Honey Bun Solventless Live Rosin Moon Walkers

Second Place: Terp Stix – Blueberry Cookies Infused Pre-Roll

Third Place: Triple 7 – Tropical Runtz Pre-Roll

Concentrates and Extracts

First Place: Revolution Cannabis – Gorilla’d Cheese Rosin

Second Place: Rythm – LIVE Grapefruit Sour Diesel

Third Place: Floracal – Banana Runtz Badder

Vape Pens

First Place: Superflux – Margalope Live Resin Vape

Second Place: Floracal – Candy Rain Cart

Third Place: Revolution Cannabis – Peach Lemonade Terp Tank Cartridge

Edibles: Gummies

First Place: Mindy’s – Berries Gummies

Second Place: Matter – Cherry Cola Gummy Bites

Third Place: Bedford Grow – Citrus Twist Gems

Edibles: Non-Gummies

First Place: Incredibles – Windy City Bites

Second Place: Nature’s Grace and Wellness – Mint Cookie Milk Chocolate Crunch Bar

Third Place: Sweet Life – Citrus Blue Caramel

Medical Flower

First Place: Verano Reserve – Guru 0

Second Place: Revolution Cannabis – Buttermilk Biscuits

Third Place: Rythm – Orange Herijuana

Medical Vape Pens

First Place: Beboe – Inspired Pen

Second Place: Nature’s Grace and Wellness – Joos Skywalker Live Resin Disposable Pen

Third Place: Verano Reserve – Sunshine OG Live Resin Vape

Medical Edibles

First Place: Bedford Grow – Strawberry Lemonade Gems

Second Place: Nature’s Grace and Wellness – Birthday Cake Pretzel Balls

Third Place: Encore – Pineapple Raspberry Gummies

A special thank you to our partners and sponsors!

Ascend Cannabis – Official Partner

Herbal Remedies Dispensary – Official Partner

Zen Leaf – Official Partner

RISE – Official Partner

Aeriz – Presenting Sponsor

Nature’s Grace and Wellness – Silver Sponsor

Matter – Bronze Sponsor

nuEra – General Sponsor

The post The Winners of the High Times Cannabis Cup Illinois: People’s Choice Edition 2022 appeared first on High Times.

Each cannabis tournament has its respective perks, and there are many events to choose from. But the High Times Cannabis Cup, launched in Rotterdam, Holland in 1987 by longtime editor Steven Hager, is the OG competition. It was the first major cannabis tournament to take place. Only a handful of seed companies entered the first Cannabis Cup in ’87, and about 30 people attended. Skunk #1 was the original winner, placing first and setting the stage for promoting and celebrating individual cannabis cultivars. It wasn’t until the event’s sixth year that attendance surpassed 800.

Over time, Cannabis Cup events have been held everywhere from Jamaica to Alaska. Nowadays, High Times provides People’s Choice events that are judged using an entirely different structure and scheme. Instead of only allowing a select list of seasoned experts to evaluate the weed, the competition is open to all participants who pay to join in. No person is excluded from the pool of judges, regardless of their level of professional expertise.

Judging the People’s Choice Edition

It was an honor to serve as a judge for the High Times Cannabis Cup People’s Choice Edition: SoCal 2022 this year. Judge Kits in Southern California became available to High Times store loyalty members on May 13 and the general public the next day. Entries were due on July 10, about two months later, and on July 24, the winners were announced. This timeline gives judges about 60 days to review each strain—the perfect amount of time to have a full day to savor each strain’s aroma, taste, and other aspects with a clear flavor palate. Judges can easily smoke or vape each entry on a different day or hours apart to avoid confusing any of the effects with one another.

I headed on over to the High Times San Bernardino store, the nearest location to where I live, to grab a Judge Kit and see for myself how this process works. While I’ve contributed to the magazine for a number of years, I’ve never visited a High Times dispensary before, until now.

Walking into a High Times store alone is enough to induce a sense of awe and wonder, let alone the ultra-dank scent emitting from backpacks stacked up behind the registers. The long legacy of High Times magazine, stretching back to 1974, becomes more pronounced when you see the decor inside. Legendary High Times magazine issue covers from times in the past adorn some of the walls. Everything in the store is aligned with the High Times classic red, white, and black color scheme.

The backpacks were lined up neatly with a label indicating which category they fall under. The categories are the following: Indica Flower, Sativa Flower, Hybrid Flower, Pre-rolls, Infused Pre-rolls, Solventless Concentrates, Vape Pens, Edibles: Gummies, Edibles: Non-Gummies, Edibles: Beverages, and the final category is Topicals, Tinctures and Capsules. Each Judge Kit in the SoCal Cup has a market value of up to $280, pre-tax.

I felt like a child seeing Willy Wonka’s factory for the first time when I opened the backpack. Some strains were purple, others even deeper purples. Others were frosted with white crystals or covered in orange hairs. Some were dense nugs, while others were fluffy buds with wispy sugar leaves still intact. Practically every strain had a set of unique characteristics that became more apparent the more I gazed at them. I didn’t know where to start.

“Each kit comes complete with all of the entries from that category,” High Times Director of Events Mark Kazinec says as he hands me my backpack. “So, for example, Indica Flower has 22 different 1 gram units from different brands, different strains. It’s all wrapped up in a High Times backpack.”

The backpacks have the High Times logo embroidered on the front and the High Times Cannabis Cup People’s Choice Edition: SoCal 2022 logo embroidered on the side pocket. Each backpack is stuffed with cannabis entries and includes a scorecard inside. The scorecard gives judges an access code to the judging portal. The 1 gram size is perfect—enough for up to several bowls each.

The scorecard indicates where to go to rate each strain, how to log in, and so forth. An email is automatically sent to confirm each time a strain review is submitted. The emails also serve as a placement point to know which strains have already been completed. In the event that a judge accidentally turns in two strain ratings, the most recent submission is selected by default. Judges assess how each strain looks, tastes, smells, effects, and burns on a scale of one to 10.

Judging Flower for the First Time

The SoCal judging marks not only the first year I’ve judged a Cannabis Cup event, but also the first year I’ve judged any cannabis tournament, for that matter.

In my case, I went to CannabisCup.com, then clicked the red judging portal button, verified my age, and selected Cannabis Cup People’s Choice Edition: SoCal 2022. Then I selected Hybrid Flower, the type of Judge Kit that I signed up to receive. Finally, I picked my first strain to review, Jealousy by LitHouse, a cross between Gelato #41 and Sherbet—two strains most aficionados are well familiar with.

My sample of Jealousy had a lower total THC content compared to the others in my bag at 29%, but it was what I describe as “two notches” stronger than I anticipated. To compare, Feria, aka “The Fetti,” by Green Dragon contained 39% THC and 2.68% terpenes. Feria is believed to be Pie Hole (Cherry Pie x OGKB) crossed with Secret Cake, Secret Cookies, or both. Just about every entry provided lab results showing cannabinoid content and sometimes terpene content.

“I loved breaking apart the bud leaves with my fingers to reveal the plum stripes with lime hints and great spongy nug structure,” I wrote of Jealousy in the judge’s portal. It had an earthy yet funky taste, which I described as pleasant but not bold, with a distinct sweet but piney aroma. I also was prompted to describe burnability, visual appeal, and so on. And this is just the first entry that I sampled! I still had 20 more strains to go through. I felt a little rusty on my first entry, and my descriptions of each aspect of the flower rating scale got longer as I went on.

Inside the portal, I’m prompted to rank the strain 1-10 in the following parameters: aesthetics/texture, aroma/scent, taste, burnability, effects, and terpene profile. The portal asks one question at a time, and when you hit enter, the next question immediately appears. It also asks me to describe several aspects of the strain.

Grandi Guava (Guava x Gelato) by Triple Seven immediately caught my eye with shelf appeal upon my initial visual inspection. The purple-plum sugar leaves were almost completely snowed over in trichomes to the point that you couldn’t see the bud leaf color very well. It looked diabolical. I felt a wave of excitement go through my body. On the other hand, the Vanilla Dice by Claybourne Co., with unknown parentage, was a darker green with trichomes that are much more white in color. It did give off a close to a creamy vanilla whiff, but it was very subtle, almost indiscernible.

Hyped-up strains like Pink Certz by Sense (The Menthol x Grape Gasoline) provided more sativa daytime effects than the indica-dominant hybrids and a complex flavor of bold berries and mint. Pink Certz also has a wicked look and shelf appeal with dark green buds covered in white-beige trichomes.

A person on Twitter asked me if judging cannabis is like judging wine, and I admitted that they are indeed similar. Both come from plants that produce a myriad of flavor and aroma profiles. Selections can vary in bite, body, bouquet, finish, etc. The cannabis industry uses different words, but the general idea is the same. Finished flower can rival the finest French wine in taste, color, aroma, and exquisiteness.

All of the strains are strong contenders, so it’s pertinent to keep in mind that judges compare them one to another, and not all are going to receive 10s, even though just about every entry is impressive.

Kazinec isn’t interested in descriptions by judges who only put in half of the effort. The portal even provided me with an example of a good strain assessment.

“We want people to be detail-oriented; we want them to say, ‘I opened it up, I smelled lemony diesel aromas, bright green fluffy buds, orange hairs, went on a hike with my friend,’ you know this and that,” Kazinec says. “We don’t want people to say, ‘They smell good, got me high.’ That’s not helpful.”

Keep in mind that all of the strains are going to be strong, as farmers and brands will only enter in only the finest flowers that represent their companies best.

“All of these responses go back to the vendors who put their heart and soul into creating these products that are literally picking their best yields or best buds to put in this cup,” Kazinec says. “We want the judges to also do the same thing and put their time and effort into this. They have 60 days to judge all of their products. And yeah, we want people to be very thorough and very detailed.”

Air of Inclusiveness

Not everyone can be a grower who has been in the biz for over 30 years. People’s Cup is about including all.

“People’s Choice is now open to everyone,” Kazinec says. “We want people from all walks of life, whether you’re an OG grower who knows exactly how to describe, you know, limonene and myrcene, terpene profiles, but we also want the new consumers who, you know, are trading out their glass of wine for a joint at the end of the night, people who are very experienced, people [who are] are not very experienced. All of that is part of the wide demographic of cannabis consumers. We want to capture everybody.”

Kazinec explains that the feedback from all these different types of people will help inform these brands to better understand what is working and what’s not working.

“This is now People’s Choice,” Kazinec says. “It’s open to everybody. It’s not reserved for the Snoop Doggs and Willie Nelsons or the High Times homies, you know, from 40 years ago, so it’s the perfect opportunity for those who have been waiting or for those who are just finding out about this judging opportunity to take advantage and see who’s the best.”

In my Hybrid Flower judge kit, Green Dragon, Claybourne Co., Wizard Trees, and Canndescent had stellar contenders that stood out. However, I cannot reveal all of my observations quite yet, as the competition is still in motion as I write this article. My advice is, as always, it’s best not to get too caught up in the packaging, as it has nothing to do with the actual quality of the flower.

Judging a Cannabis Cup was everything I’d hoped it would be and more. I learned about some new strains, I got to compare them to each other, and I feel like I know more about flower now than I did when I started judging. Would I do it again? Most definitely, and I encourage others to do so themselves.

Anyone who is willing is worthy of becoming a High Times Cannabis Cup: People’s Choice Edition judge. Visit cannabiscup.com to learn more and find events closer to your home state.

cannabiscup.com

This article appears in the August 2022 issue of High Times. Subscribe here.

The post Cannabis in Competition appeared first on High Times.

The Cannabis Cup Colorado: People’s Choice Edition is aimed to identify and award the best cannabis products from across the state, while representing an assortment of 12 different categories, with many of the entries being exclusive to the Colorado cannabis market.

And the best perk? The winners are judged by the great people of the Centennial State.

Between June 5, when Judges Kits became available, and August 7, People’s Choice Judges worked diligently to rate each cannabis entry on looks, taste, smell, effect, and burnability—on a scale of one to 10. Judges were able to login to the Judging Portal on CannabisCup.com as they sampled each entry. They were asked to judge each entry one by one, to separate the effects from one another.

Judges entered the password and Access Code from the Judge’s Card they received in their Judge’s Kit, stored in official High Times gear. Over half of the categories quickly sold out.

This event was the second-ever competition open to the Colorado public and saw the largest pool of judges in history!

Stay updated with Cup-related news on Cannabiscup.com to see the winners of all of our recent People’s Choice competitions, including Colorado, Illinois, Alaska, and Massachusetts.

Indica Flower

First Place: High Level Health – Cookie Monster

Second Place: Veritas Fine Cannabis – Snickerz

Third Place: Frosty Top Farms – Frosted Pie

Sativa Flower

First Place: Veritas Fine Cannabis – Sour Orange Zkittlez

Second Place: D’z Trees – Honolulu Choo Choo

Third Place: In The Flow – Chemmy Jones

Hybrid Flower

First Place: High Level Health – Runtz

Second Place: Vera x Tical – Apple Tartz

Third Place: Frosty Top Farms – Smooth Brain

Pre-Rolls

First Place: High Country Cones – Blue Apricot Gasoline Pre-Roll

Second Place: Rocky Mountain High – Animal Face x Kush Mints Pre-Roll

Third Place: Dutch Botanicals – Grumpz Living Soil Pre-Roll

Infused Pre-Rolls

First Place: NectarBee – Sugar Cone Infused Pre-Roll

Second Place: Escape Artists x Natty Rems – Golden Goat Infused Pre-Roll

Third Place: DADiRRi – Caviar Bitty Infused Pancakes Pre-Roll

Solvent Concentrates

First Place: High Level Health – Blue Skunk Live Budder

Second Place: Kush Masters – Papaya Power Live Diamonds (Solvent)

Third Place: Spectra – Rainbow Cookies Live Resin

Non-Solvent Concentrates

First Place: Akta – Tropicanna Banana Live Rosin

Second Place: Dutch Botanicals – Grumpz Living Soil Live Rosin

Third Place: Indico – Lost Cause Rosin

Distillate Vape Pens

First Place: Evolab – Co2lors White Cherry Cart

Second Place: Natty Rems – Alien Haze Vape

Third Place: The Clear – Lime Sorbet Vape

Non-Distillate Vape Pens

First Place: Mountain Select – Nana’s Lemonade Live Rosin Vape

Second Place: Akta – Tropicanna Banana Live Rosin Vape

Third Place: Dutch Botanicals – Grumpz Living Soil Live Rosin Cart

Edibles: Gummies

First Place: Smokiez – Sour Watermelon Fruit Chews

Second Place: Dixie – SYNERGY 2:1:1 SleepBerry Gummies

Third Place: Zoobies – Sour Fruit Gummies

Edibles: Chocolates & Baked Goods

First Place: Incredibles – Boulder Bar

Second Place: 7 Sacred – Salted Chocolate Toffee Truffles

Third Place: Chaos – Fruity Rebels Crispies

Topicals + Tinctures + Capsules + Sublinguals

First Place: Escape Artists – Cedar and Black Pepper Relief Cream

Second Place: Nordic Goddess – Body Balm 250mg THC | 250mg CBD

Third Place: Mary’s Medicinals – FORMULA 4:4:2:2 Sublingual Oil

As always, a huge thank you to our partners and sponsors!

Rocky Mountain High – Official Intake and Retailer Partner

TweedLeaf – Presenting Sponsor

Native Roots Cannabis Co. – Silver Sponsor

Cherry – Bronze Sponsor

LivWell – General Sponsor

PRO-MIX – General Sponsor

Natty Rems – General Sponsor

Next1Labs – General Sponsor

Nuhi Distribution – General Sponsor

IDY Distributors – Exclusive Secure Transport Partner

The post The Winners of the Cannabis Cup Colorado: People’s Choice Edition 2022 appeared first on High Times.

This was the second-ever competition that was open to consumer judges in SoCal, and it was also one of the largest pools of judges that we’ve seen so far! The last High Times Cannabis Cup SoCal: People’s Choice Edition was held back in 2020, which highlighted an equally awesome selection of cannabis products to check out. But it’s been long overdue to revisit what kind of new strains and products have been gaining popularity in Southern California—and here we are.

Judges were provided a wide variety of unique products, many of which are exclusive to the Southern California cannabis market. From flower and pre-rolls to concentrates and edibles, we can’t thank you enough for dedicating your time and efforts to not only trying all of these amazing new products, but providing excellent feedback too.

Don’t forget you can check out the most up-to-date news on Cannabiscup.com to see the winners of all of our recent People’s Choice competitions, including Colorado, Illinois, Alaska, and Massachusetts.

Indica Flower

First Place: Top-Shelf Cultivation – Whoa Si Whoa Flower

Second Place: Team Elite Genetics – Styrofoam Cup Flower

Third Place: Triple Seven – Pancakes #7

Sativa Flower

First Place: Team Elite Genetics – Pearadise Flower

Second Place: Triple Seven – Super Boof

Third Place: Green Dragon – Tropical Slushie

Hybrid Flower

First Place: Sense – Pink Certz Flower

Second Place: LitHouse – Jealousy Flower

Third Place: Wizard Trees – Studio 54

Pre-Rolls

First Place: Top-Shelf Cultivation – Whoa Si Whoa Pre-Roll

Second Place: Green Dragon – Southern Belle Pre-Roll

Third Place: Pivot – Holy Grail Pre-Roll

Infused Pre-Rolls

First Place: Jeeter – Watermelon Zkittlez Infused Pre-Roll

Second Place: Baby Dojah – Watermelon Blast Solventless infused Pre-Roll

Third Place: Terp Stix – Blackberry Infused Pre-roll

Solvent Concentrates

First Place: Bear Labs – Kiwi Thin Mintz Diamonds

Second Place: Jetty Extracts – Super Lemon Haze Live Resin

Third Place: URSA – Sunset Wave Live Resin

Vape Pens & Cartridges

First Place: PAX – Live Rosin with Natural Diamonds Blue Dream for PAX Era Vape

Second Place: High 90’s – Pineapple Disposable Vape

Third Place: Jetty Extracts – Banana Punch Cartridge

Edibles: Gummies

First Place: Sensi – Sleepy Sour Cherry CBN Omega 3 Gummies

Second Place: Marmas – Georgia Peach Marmalade Bite

Third Place: Kiva – Camino Sours Watermelon Spritz

Edibles: Non-Gummies

First Place: Bhang – Blueberry Dark Chocolate

Second Place: Kiva – Lost Farm Chews Strawberry GG4

Third Place: Hi-Burst – Sour Raspberry Lemonade Fruit Chew

Edibles: Beverages

First Place: Mari y Juana – Piña Soft Drink

Second Place: Keef – Mocktail Fruit Punch

Third Place: Drink LOUD – Pink Lemonade Potion

Topicals

First Place: Dr. May – Balance Pro Topical Balm 1:1

Second Place: THC Living – Topical Patch 60mg

Third Place: Jetty Extracts – Hand Sanitizer (*Made with Cannabis-Derived Terpenes)

Tincture + Capsules

First Place: Kan+Ade – Extra Strength Watermelon 500mg THC Syrup

Second Place: The Root of It All – GO Focused Energy Tincture

Third Place: Click – GO Spray

A big thank you to our partners and sponsors!

Top-Shelf Cultivation – Presenting Sponsor – A tried and true crew of cultivators who are no stranger to the Cannabis Cup winners podium. After winning Cup after Cup and continually strengthening year after year, these guys are ready to show you who the top dogs are. Shout out to Kevin and the team. 
AMBER  – Silver Sponsor – AMBER is crafted by connoisseurs, for connoisseurs. We’ve tried a handful of their products and definitely give the stamp of approval. 
ROVE – Bronze Sponsor – If you don’t know who ROVE is, you must be living under a rock. A wonderful team that brings consistently amazing products to the market, with new product lines coming out just as your cartridges go empty.
Green Dragon – Our official dispensary partner that had lines of judges waiting outside in San Francisco down to Palm Springs ready to get their judge kits.
Big Oil Transport – The judge kits would not have arrived to all dispensaries without the incredible team at Big Oil for being our official transport partner. Huge thank you to Jason and the team! 
High 90s  – General Sponsor – High 90s has made their name in the industry with a popular line of no-frills disposable vape pens for with a color and flavor for everyone in the family. Our favorite? Double Cup. 
CCELL – Official Battery Partner – Because who doesn’t need some of the best vape pen batteries in the world right in your judge kit? All Vape Pen Judge Kits came with CCELL batteries to ensure your puffs never ran out of juice. 

Last but not least, BIG Thank you to Eric, Peter and the whole team at the Honey team in Maywood, we couldn’t have done this without you.

The post The Winners of the Cannabis Cup SoCal: People’s Choice Edition 2022 appeared first on High Times.

Products can be submitted for consideration at NETA dispensaries in Franklin, MA. between September 7-9. Kits will be sold starting on September 24 (first come, first serve availability). Judges will have until November 13 to check out and review everything Massachusetts cannabis companies have to offer, and the winners of the cup will be announced on November 27 through a digital awards show.

Massachusetts Cannabis Cup Entry Categories:

1. Indica Flower (28 total slots available; 2 entries Max per Company) 
2. Sativa Flower (28 total slots available; 2 entries Max per Company)  
3. Hybrid Flower (28 total slots available; 2 entries Max per Company) 
4. Pre-Rolls (10 total slots available; 1 entries Max per Company) 
5. Concentrates (10 total slots available; 1  entries Max per Company) 
6. Distillate Vape Pens & Cartridges (10  total slots available; 1 entries Max per Company) 
7. NON-Distillate Vape Pens & Cartridges (10  total slots available; 1 entries Max per Company) 
8. Edibles: Sativa Gummies (10 total slots available with 50mg THC max; 1 entries Max per Company)
9. Edibles: Indica Gummies (10 total slots available with 50mg THC max; 1 entries Max per Company)
10. Edibles: Chocolate Non-Gummies (10 total slots available with 50mg THC max; 1 entries Max per Company)
11. Edibles: Fruity Non-Gummies (10 total slots available with 50mg THC max; 1 entries Max per Company
12. Edibles: Beverages (10 total slots available with 50mg THC max; 1 entries Max per Company)
13. Topicals + Tinctures + Capsules (10 total slots available; 1 entries Max per Company)

Once the judges have submitted their feedback, we’ll announce the first place winners that have earned themselves the renowned High Times Cannabis Cup trophy—an honorable award that proves that their product rises above the rest of the competition.

The trophy, which was designed by Alex and Allyson Grey, is made of zinc and 24K gold plating. First-place winners will also be given a full page advertisement in High Times magazine, a complete report of the competition scores and comment feedback, winner decals to place on your product packaging, a mention in our online article featuring the winners of the High Times Cannabis Cup Massachusetts: People’s Choice Edition 2022 (as well as being recorded as a winner on cannabiscup.com) and of course, inclusion of the winning brands for each category on High Times social media channels (shared on the High Times timeline, story and story highlights).

Second place winners will receive a silver medal made of pewter and a silver ribbon with your winning category inscribed on it, as well as a half-page advertisement in High Times magazine, second place art assets for product packaging (along with all of the aforementioned judge’s report, and inclusion of the win online and on social media).

Third place winners will receive a bronze medal, made from pewter and bronze plating, with a matching bronze ribbon and the winning category inscribed on it, and a half-page advertisement in High Times magazine as well.

Even the products that do not win first, second, or third place in their respective categories can win in other ways. All products and brands will be included and tagged on social media in order to support Massachusetts cannabis companies and everything they bring to the table. During our Awards Show, we also do a shout-out and thank all competitors for participating in our competition. Best of all, the High Times Report is available upon request, should you like to learn more about what the judges thought of your product, and where it is ranked through our scoring system.

All products must be licensed by CCC and we cannot accept caregiver product.

A special thanks to our official intake partner, NETA.

www.cannabiscup.com

The post Just Announced – High Times Cannabis Cup Massachusetts: People’s Choice Edition 2022 appeared first on High Times.

The judges were provided with a captivating selection of unique entries to the market. Michigan cannabis producers have made quite the name for themselves by creating some of the most impressive cannabis products in a wide variety of categories, both for recreational and medical consumption.

Keep an eye on Cannabiscup.com to see where the High Times Cannabis Cup: People’s Choice Edition will appear next!

AU Indica Flower

First Place: Society C – Spritzer

Second Place: Pro Gro – Garlic Breath

Third Place: Pressure Pack – Super Pure Runtz

Medical Indica Flower

First Place: Local Grove – Brain Stew

Second Place: Pro Gro – Cherry Lime Runtz

Third Place: Flower Power – Sherb Cake

AU Sativa Flower

First Place: Hypha – Tropical Runtz

Second Place: Pro Gro – Lunar Lemon

Third Place: Dutch Touch Genetics – Lilac Diesel

Medical Sativa Flower

First Place: Pro Gro – Lunar Lemon

Second Place: Local Grove – Ice Cream Cake

Third Place: Heavyweight Heads – Sunfuel

AU Hybrid Flower

First Place: FLWRpot – Tropicana Cherry

Second Place: Kai Cannabis – Tropicanna Cherry

Third Place: Local Grove – Runtz

Medical Hybrid Flower

First Place: Local Grove – Runtz

Second Place: Pro Gro – Moonbow #112

Third Place: Canna Boys – Zhits Fire

AU Non-Infused Pre-Rolls

First Place: Canna Boys – Zhits Fire Cannonz

Second Place: Hyman – Soñando Handcraft Pre-Roll

Third Place: Pressure Pack – Zerbert Pre-Roll

AU Infused Pre-Rolls

First Place: Element x Pro Gro – Lunar Lemon Live Resin Joint

Second Place: North Coast x Pressure Pack x Mitten Canna – Rainbow Melonz Rosin Donut

Third Place: Packwoods – Animal Cookie Infused Pre-Roll

Medical Pre-Rolls

First Place: Canna Boys – Zhits Fire Cannonz

Second Place: North Coast x LSF – Electric Peanut Butter Cookie Joint

Third Place: Pressure Pack – Jet Fuel Gelato Pre-Roll

Solvent Concentrates

First Place: Element x Pro Gro – Lunar Lemon Live Resin

Second Place: Uplift’N – Half & Half Raspberry Parfait Solvent Diamonds & Live Resin

Third Place: Society C – Gummiez Live Resin Badder

Non-Solvent Concentrates

First Place: Glorious Cannabis Co. x Superior Solventless – PebbleZ Live Rosin

Second Place: Fresh Coast x Hypha – Tropical Runtz Live Rosin

Third Place: North Coast x Pro Gro – Rainbow Beltz Rosin

Distillate Vape Pens

First Place: Church x Pressure Pack – Super Pure Runtz Distillate Vape

Second Place: Rove – Skywalker Indica Distillate Vape

Third Place: The Clear – Grapevine Vape Cart

Non-Distillate Vape Pens

First Place: Binske – Puna Orange Live Resin Cart

Second Place: North Coast x Kai – Orange Push Pop Rosin Vape

Third Place: Element Pure Live x High Level Health – Grape Breath Live Resin Cart

Rec Edible: Gummies

First Place: Afternoon Delite – Blue Lemonade Gummies

Second Place: KIVA – Wild Cherry Camino Gummies

Third Place: Choice – Cherry Berry Gummies

Rec Edible: Non-Gummies

First Place: KIVA – Milk and Cookies Terra Bites

Second Place: High Life Farms – Red, White & Boom Royal Chocolate Bar

Third Place: Banned – Oatmeal Cream Pie

Medical Edibles

First Place: Afternoon Delite x Kola Farms – Starberry Gummies

Second Place: UBaked – Blueberry and Maple Bar

Third Place: Banned – Oatmeal Cream Pie

Topicals, Tinctures, Capsules + Sublinguals

First Place: RISE – RSO + OG Kush Live Resin Sublingual Syringe

Second Place: Chill Medicated – Extreme X Pain Relief Body Rub

Third Place: Michigan Organic Rub – Vegan Capsules

Thank you to our partners and sponsors:

Exclusive Brands – Dispensary Partner
JK Logix
Rove
Pressure Pack
North Coast
High Life Farms
Chill Medicated
Hyman
Covert Cups
LivWell
Alvarez Cultivation
Nirvana Center
Superior Selections
Exclusive Brands

The post The Winners of the Cannabis Cup Michigan: People’s Choice Edition 2022 appeared first on High Times.

Products can be submitted for consideration at Enlighten in Anchorage, Alaska between August 10-12. Kits will be sold starting on August 27 (first come, first serve availability). Judges will have until October 9 to check out and review everything Alaska cannabis companies have to offer, and the winners of the cup will be announced on October 16 through a digital awards show.

For those who want to submit their products for competition, one entry is set at $250, and two entries will be $100 each—both of which are non-refundable. However, three or more entries is $100 each and refundable when all entries are successfully submitted.

High Times Cannabis Cup Alaska: People’s Choice Edition 2022 will feature 10 categories: Indica Flower (28 total slots available; maximum three entries per company), Sativa Flower (28 total slots available; three per company), Hybrid Flower (28 total slots available; three per company), NON-Infused Pre-Rolls (14 total slots available; two per company), Infused Pre-Rolls and Infused Flower (14 total slots available; two per company), Concentrates (14 total slots available; two per company), Vape Pens & Cartridges (14 total slots available; one per company), Edibles: Gummies (28 total slots available; three per company), Edibles: Non-Gummies (28 total slots available; three per company), and Topicals + Tinctures + Capsules (11 total slots available; two per company).

But of course, there are certain requirements to keep in mind for all submission categories. Flower must be submitted as one gram in weight as individually packaged and labeled units (we will not accept any 3.5 gram submissions). Pre-rolls should be individually packaged and labeled, with non-infused pre-rolls capped at a 2g flower-equivalency each. Infused pre-rolls and infused flower should also be individually packaged and labeled, with infused products being capped at 1 gram net weight and a maximum of 400mg THC each. Concentrates and Vape Pens must be .5 grams, each individually packaged and labeled (no 1 gram units will be accepted) and batteries are required for carts. Finally, Edibles should be individually packaged and labeled, and contain no more than 50mg of THC (100mg THC entries will not be accepted).

Once the judges have submitted their feedback, we’ll announce the first place winners that have earned themselves the renowned High Times Cannabis Cup trophy—an honorable award that proves that their product rises above the rest of the competition. The trophy, which was designed by Alex and Allyson Grey, is made of zinc and 24K gold plating. First place winners will also be given a full page advertisement in High Times magazine, a complete report of the competition scores and comment feedback, winner decals to place on your product packaging, a mention in our online article featuring the winners of the High Times Cannabis Cup Alaska: People’s Choice Edition 2022 (as well as being recorded as a winner on cannabiscup.com) and of course, inclusion of the winning brands for each category on High Times social media channels (shared on the High Times timeline, story and story highlights).

Second place winners will receive a silver medal made of pewter and a silver ribbon with your winning category inscribed on it, as well as a half-page advertisement in High Times magazine, second place art assets for product packaging (along with all of the aforementioned judge’s report, and inclusion of the win online and on social media).

Third place winners will receive a bronze medal, made from pewter and bronze plating, with a matching bronze ribbon and the winning category inscribed on it, and a half-page advertisement in High Times magazine as well.

Even the products that do not win first, second, or third place in their respective categories can win in other ways. All products and brands will be included and tagged on social media in order to support Alaskan cannabis companies and everything they bring to the table. During our Awards Show, we also do a shout-out and thank all competitors for participating in our competition. Best of all, the High Times Report is available upon request, should you like to learn more about what the judges thought of your product, and where it is ranked through our scoring system.

All products must be licensed by AMCO and we cannot accept caregiver product.

www.cannabiscup.com

The post Just Announced – High Times Cannabis Cup Alaska: People’s Choice Edition 2022 appeared first on High Times.