High Times Cup Hits SoCal

Dope lovers by the thousands followed the smell of ganja to the Inland Empire in February, where they gathered for the first of five events around the world sponsored by High Times.

The first leg of the 27th annual Cannabis Cup, one of the biggest competitions in the marijuana world, was held Feb. 8-9 in San Bernardino. Competitions pitted cultivators against each other for the kind of recognition that can make a business.

Organizers booked the National Orange Show Events Center in San Bernardino for the convention. Thousands of growers, dispensers, processors and weed smokers of every variety filled the large desert space and joined the judges in puffing away.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, it was a friendly, laid-back event, with the crowd congregating around the medication area and its free hits, edibles and other cannabis products.

The event is widely considered the most important of its kind in the world. It starts out each year in Southern California, then moves on to a major blowout in Denver on 4/20. The cup stops again in San Francisco in June, then in Seattle in September, and finally across the Atlantic to the main competition in Amsterdam in November. That’s where the cup itself is awarded to the overall best strain.

Prizes in February’s contest were divided into several groups: best sativa, best indica, best hybrid, best concentrate, best edible, best non-solvent hash, best non-edible medically-infused product, highest CBD products, best glass, best product and best booth.

The best sativa awards went to RCP Sacramento, first place for Red Dragon; Gold Coast Collection, second place for Silver Haze; and Alpha Medic, 3rd place for Crystal Coma.

The winner of the indica category was Life Is Good Healing and the XXX OG strain. Second place went to Buds & Roses with Veganic L.A. Confidential; and third was awarded to Terrapin Terpene Collective and the Blackwater strain.

The top hybrid award went to Standard Seed Collective for Gorilla Glue #4, while second place went to Alpha Medic for Alpha OG and third went to RCP Sacramento for Redding OG.

Grateful Meds/TerpX won first place for best concentrate with its Kosher OG. Venice Medical Center/TerpX and its San Lorenzo Valley OG took second place, and The Honey Spot’s Honey OG won third.

In the best non-solvent hash category, first place went to BAMF Extractions/VFL Collective for its BAMF Private Reserve OG Solventless. Second place was awarded to Warrior Extractions/Oh-Tay Fam and Goji OG Solventless Hash. Third prize was given to Collective Conscious Apothecary for the hash called Holy Water.

First prize for best edible was awarded to G Pharma Labs for Liquid Gold Delights Mint Meltaways. Kiva Confections got second prize for its Terra Bites, while Kushie Candy and its Strawberry Banana Cream strain won third.

Just one prize was awarded in the non-edible medically-infused product category, and it went to Cannariginals/Golden state Cooperative and the Emu 420 Essentials Mentholated Rub.

The “highest CBD” category was divided into three awards: best flower, best concentrate and best edible. CBD is an active compound in cannabis that has numerous important medical benefits. It has special promise as a treatment for children with severe epilepsy. For this reason, a movement has been growing within the marijuana industry to cultivate strains high in CBD and, usually, low in THC, the chemical that gets users high.

The best CBD flower award went to Elemental Seeds for Johnny’s Tonic, the best concentrate award to CannaVest for CBD Simple and the best edible award to Bay Meds Delivery/MTG Seeds for CBD Lollipops.

First place for best glass product was awarded to Rob Morrison for Hitman Glass, second place to Sheldon Black and third place to Silika. The “best product” award west to Cloud V (first), Oil Slick (second) and G Pen (third). Finally, “best booth” was awarded, respecitvely, to C3PO, Dabstix and Silika.

http://blog.sfgate.com/smellthetruth/2014/02/10/high-times-cannabis-cup-san-bernardino-2014-winners-pics/