California Marijuana Market Breaking "Marijuana News" from CA
The High Times Cannabis Cup event blew into the Bay Area in late June, attracting thousands of eager tokers and industry players.
The Cannabis Cup was held June 28 and 29 at the Sonoma County Fairground in Santa Rosa. As many as 10,000 people showed up to sample a wide array of weed and bask in the glow of changing marijuana laws.
The event is one of five High Times cannabis contests nationwide. The California expo was the first of the year. The next Cannabis Cup will take place in Michigan in late July.
From weed-laced ice cream to dab samples, participants tried out new treats and old favorites. Three hundred dispensaries and other vendors set up shop and displayed the newest in paraphernalia and strains.
Awards Celebrate the Best in Weed
The centerpiece of the weekend event was the Cannabis Cup itself, awarded to the best in several categories. Awards were handed out for the best strains, the best hash, the best edibles, and other categories.
Thin Mint Cookies by the Gold Coast Collective won the best hybrid contest, while Chem Scout by the IC Collective won the top indica award. The award for best sativa went to Santa Cruz Mountain Naturals and its Cracker Jack strain.
Kottonmouth Kush/Strawberry Cough ice water hash won the first place hash award. The top edibles prize went to Madame Munchie’s Artisanal Cannabis Macarons. And the only prize for a medical topical lotion went to Eden’s Elixers.
CBD Strains Win Awards
Awards were also given for the best CBD strains. CBD weed is used to treat a short list of medical conditions, but the strain is low in THC, the chemical that gets marijuana users high.
The award for the best CBD concentrate was given to the well-known Charlotte’s Web strain, made by P.E.A.C.E. Plant Essentials And Cannabis Extracts. Charlotte’s Web originated in Colorado and is used to treat many children with severe seizure disorders.
Medibrothers & MTG Seeds produced the best edible with CBD, Medibrothers and MTG Medi-Chew High CBD. The prize for the best CBD flowers went to Great White by Alpha Medic.
Paraphernalia makers and vendors also won several awards. Hitman Glass picked up the award for best glass, while Cloud Penz won the first-place prize for best product. The best booth award went to Vader Extracts.
The festival was a sign that times are rapidly changing. Though the Cannabis Cup was driven out of San Francisco and Oakland, Santa Rosa was happy to take the business. Some observers in the cannabis industry noted that more families attended than expected, evidence marijuana is fast losing its stigma.
