The first-ever New Jersey High Times Cannabis Cup went down May 1 at the Steel Pier in Atlantic City. More than 2,500 judges across the state weighed in across 13 categories. Niche. swept the flower podium. ONYX cleaned up across concentrates and edibles. And here’s everyone who took home a trophy.

The first-ever New Jersey High Times Cannabis Cup is in the books.

The Steel Pier in Atlantic City closed its boardwalk for the night on May 1, 2026. The Ferris wheel kept running. More than 2,500 judges across the state had spent weeks evaluating product. Smoke DZA hosted, and High Times publisher Josh Kesselman opened the night by sparking a giant blunt and walking it through the crowd before the awards began.

Then the trophies started landing.

Honorable mentions to The Growfather and Sun Extractions, which each took home three medals across multiple categories, and Rosin King, which took first and third in Solventless Vape Pens.

Every winner, every category

A scene that’s only getting bigger

New Jersey’s adult-use cannabis market opened its doors in April 2022. Four years later, the state is producing the kind of cultivation, extraction and edible work that fills out a thirteen-category competition with real depth at every podium. The Steel Pier crowd reflected it: dispensary owners, brand founders, content creators, legacy growers and a few unexpected guests, all on a closed-off boardwalk under the Atlantic City lights.

The Cup is now part of New Jersey’s cannabis calendar. Every brand on this list earned the spot. And the next round is already coming.

<p>The post The Best Weed In New Jersey, According To The High Times Cannabis Cup first appeared on High Times.</p>

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The Last Prisoner Project co-founder and 2025 DOPE Award winner’s fight for freedom

Mary Bailey stays in motion.

The event organizer, activist, and managing director of Last Prisoner Project runs a relentless schedule. From picking up newly released cannabis prisoners to producing the Hawaii Cannabis Conference in Honolulu, Bailey is constantly on the go—and that’s exactly where she wants to be.

Bailey has spent much of her life bringing people together around a greater purpose. A former concert promoter and community organizer, she’s always focused on creating spaces where people can gather and build something meaningful.

“I’m a humanitarian at heart. Kindness feels like the right thing to do, and helping others comes naturally to me. We all need support at different points in our lives.”

Mary Bailey, Managing Director and Co-Founder, Last Prisoner Project

A yoga and reggae fanatic, Bailey developed a deep connection to cannabis early on. Growing up in Florida during the height of prohibition, Bailey became “immediately fascinated” by the intersection of music and weed culture upon her first introduction.

In her twenties, that passion led Bailey to Hawaii and, eventually, inspired the launch of the Maui Cannabis Conference. By that point, she was already producing events through her company, Alpha Agency, including the Maui Yoga Festival and community block parties for the County of Maui Office of Economic Development.

“Stepping into the conference space felt like a natural next move. The goal was to create a space where local entrepreneurs could learn directly from leaders in the industry and build something meaningful of their own,” she explained.

That momentum put Bailey on a path that would ultimately change her life—and the lives of countless others.

The Birth of Last Prisoner Project

After hosting the second Maui Cannabis Conference, a social media video about a cannabis prisoner stopped Bailey in her tracks.

“It hit me like a ton of bricks. I realized it could have been me. I could have been the one locked up. I could have been separated from my daughter.”

Mary Bailey

Bailey’s friend, Maui-based activist Jeremy Jarvis, encouraged her to take action. Searching for a way in, she reached out to Andrew DeAngelo—who was already thinking along the same lines. He told Bailey he had been discussing the launch of a nonprofit dedicated to helping cannabis prisoners.

Bailey traveled to SXSW in 2019 to meet with DeAngelo, his brother Steve, and Dean Raise, manager of the reggae band Rebelution. That meeting became the spark for the Last Prisoner Project (LPP).

The group later sought guidance from Norm Reimer of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, with Harvard law graduate Sarah Gersten stepping in as executive director.

The newly minted team had a clear mission: support people serving time for non-violent cannabis offenses, help secure their release, and ensure a smooth return to society. The nonprofit began by building legal and reentry programs that connect prisoners with the resources they need to win their freedom and thrive once they’re home.

LPP quickly gained traction, earning support from industry leaders and cannabis-friendly celebrities.

The Greatest Reward of All

Asked about defining moments in her advocacy work, Bailey points to the people whose lives LPP has helped change. One that still stands out is the phone call with Michael Thompson, when he learned he had been granted an executive commutation from Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer.

“He had spent 25 years in prison serving a 40–60-year sentence and had nearly lost hope of ever being reunited with his family,” Bailey said.

Bailey also points to her connection with Stephanie Shepard, who served 10 years for cannabis-related charges. Shepard was eventually hired by LPP and worked her way up to acting executive director, a role she currently holds.

Yet one of the biggest moments was seeing Richard DeLisi walk out of a Florida prison. Once the longest serving nonviolent cannabis prisoner, DeLisi was eventually released thanks in part to the pro bono legal services he received through LPP.

“I will never forget standing alongside the DeLisi family and Richard’s legal team—Mariah Daly, Elizabeth Buchanan, and Chiara Juster—watching Richard walk out of the prison gates after serving 32 years of a 98-year sentence from one of the earliest RICO cases. One of my favorite moments that day was when Richard looked at us and said, ‘I’ve got the most lit legal team ever!’”

Mary Bailey

It’s these moments, and countless others, that led to Bailey being named the first recipient of the 2025 DOPE Award.

The announcement, part of High Times’ relaunch of DOPE Magazine, caught Bailey off guard. She said she was deeply honored by the recognition, but was quick to downplay it. Awards are nice, she insisted, but freeing someone who has spent years locked in a cell, separated from their family, is the only reward that really matters.

“Seeing a former cannabis prisoner truly thrive in their freedom is, without question, the greatest reward of all.”

Mary Bailey

The War on Drugs Isn’t Over

While Bailey and LPP have achieved many wins over the years, the work is far from over. She urged everyone in the cannabis space to take action, arguing that anyone benefiting from legalization has a responsibility to help those left behind.

“I feel strongly that anybody who has been in prison for cannabis or is currently incarcerated for cannabis is a true pioneer of the industry,” Bailey expressed. “It means that all of us in the legal industry should feel a moral obligation to join the mission to fight for their freedom.”

Bailey is clear that anyone can be an advocate, whether that means signing petitions or writing letters to people still behind bars. She urges readers to visit LPP’s Take Action page to find ways to get involved. The work won’t be finished until families torn apart by the war on drugs are brought back together.

Bailey leaves no room for complacency: “It will take all of us working together to achieve our mission of freeing every last cannabis prisoner.”

<p>The post Legal Weed, Unequal Justice: Mary Bailey’s Fight to Free Cannabis Prisoners first appeared on High Times.</p>

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New Jersey is getting its first-ever Cannabis Cup. One night, one city, one stage. May 1 at Steel Pier in Atlantic City.

The High Times Cannabis Cup Awards Presented by Honey Grove lands in New Jersey for the first time, turning Atlantic City’s Steel Pier into a one-night celebration of the state’s best cannabis, biggest artists and most dedicated community of judges in the country.

This is not a trade show. It is a full-scale entertainment experience: live music, performances, games, rides and an awards show that puts New Jersey’s cannabis community front and center. Doors open at 6 PM. The night runs until 11.

The lineup

Smoke DZA hosts the evening. Beanie Sigel and KUR take the stage. DJ Caesar serves as MC. Live bands on the bill include Crickets & Cicadas, Reality Check Experiment, Cannabis Cup Band and Haizi Haze.

Special guest: Josh Kesselman, Founder of RAW.

“This event brings together the community to celebrate the best products in New Jersey in a way that reflects the culture and energy behind Cannabis Cup.”

Kyle Rosner, Director of Partnerships, High Times

The competition

The awards mark the culmination of a statewide competition featuring more than 50 licensed New Jersey cannabis brands competing across 13 categories, including flower, concentrates, vape pens and edibles.

Still time to judge

Judging remains open through April 24. Judge Kits are available for purchase at Honey Grove, Honey Stash and participating retailers statewide. Anyone 21+ can participate. Find locations via the map at cannabiscup.com.

Over 2,500 judges across New Jersey have been evaluating products. Judging closes April 24. Judge Kits available now.

Get tickets

Tickets are available now at https://tickets.cannabiscup.com/nj-cannabis-cup-2026. This is a 21+ private event. Valid ID required at entry.

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On a run of 2025 California dates, Afroman was already turning “Lemon Pound Cake,” weed-leaf guitar theatrics, and full-contact fan energy into something bigger than a nostalgia act.

Afroman’s court win may have pushed him back into the headlines, but the road was already telling part of that story.

Before a jury sided with the rapper in the lawsuit brought by Ohio deputies over the music videos he made from footage of the 2022 raid on his home, Afroman was already out in California doing what he has always done best: turning weed, absurdity, crowd energy, and total lack of shame into a live show that still feels weirdly bulletproof.

Across a 2025 run of stops in Citrus Heights, Turlock, Vacaville, and Berkeley, he looked less like a novelty act living off old hits and more like an artist who had quietly folded internet infamy, cannabis folklore, and his own chaos into something durable. The crowds came for Because I Got High and Colt 45, sure. But they were also there for the larger Afroman spectacle: the weed-leaf guitar, the smoke-heavy vibe, the after-show hangs, and, increasingly, Lemon Pound Cake, the song that turned a police raid into one of the strangest clapbacks in modern rap.

At Rocky’s Bar & Grill in Citrus Heights, the backyard was packed before he took the stage. In Turlock, a crowd Brett Churchill described as more country than hip-hop still knew every word. In Vacaville, Afroman took requests, mixed in rarer live cuts, and kept the room with him. In Berkeley, he rolled through fan favorites and gave “Lemon Pound Cake” a spotlight, showing that the song was already becoming part of the live identity, not just a viral footnote.

And then there’s the guitar.

Afroman’s weed-leaf guitar is ridiculous, instantly legible, and perfect for him. According to both versions of Churchill’s write-up, crowds reacted the moment he picked it up, before he even played a note. That detail says a lot about the current version of Afroman: people are not just showing up for songs anymore. They are showing up for the whole mythology.

He also still does something a lot of legacy acts stop doing. He hangs around. Churchill’s drafts repeatedly describe Afroman staying after shows for autographs, photos, and smoke sessions with fans. That kind of access matters. It keeps the whole thing feeling less like a packaged oldies run and more like a living scene.

That is what makes the current spike of attention feel bigger than a random viral rebound. The verdict may have sharpened the story, but these live dates suggest the momentum was already there. Afroman had already figured out how to turn the raid, the jokes, the smoke, and the songs into one long-running performance about ridicule, survival, and control.

Now that the court case is over, those 2025 shows look less like isolated tour stops and more like the setup for a moment that was coming either way.

For a guy whose career has always depended on knowing exactly when the joke is on him and when it’s on everybody else, that feels about right.

<p>The post Before the Jury Sided With Afroman, the Crowd Already Had first appeared on High Times.</p>

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From dialed-in flower to standout vapes, edibles, and drinks, this year’s Cannabis Cup results highlight the operators setting the pace for New York quality.

Best Sativa Flower: Doobie Labs, White Widow

Doobie Labs brought their flower to market in 2024 after a relentless pursuit to perfect their product. And clearly, it’s paying off. For a newcomer to take home Best Sativa Flower is a serious statement.

White Widow is a legendary ’90s strain. This high-potency, sativa-dominant hybrid delivers peppery pine and citrus notes with a balanced, flavorful smoke and the kind of uplifting effects that made it a classic in the first place.

Check out the winners:

• First place: Doobie Labs. Check them out on Instagram.
• Second place: Golden Garden. Check them out on Instagram.
• Third place: RUNTZ. Check them out at Torches.

Best Indica Flower: Golden Garden, Blue Zushi

Golden Garden grows flower that gets your attention the second you crack the bag. They work with killer genetics, and only the best buds make their way to the shop.

Blue Zushi is an incredible example of true indica energy. The depth of flavor matches the deep buzz, making it an easy pick for the top spot.

Check out the winners:

• First place: Golden Garden. Check them out on Instagram.
• Second place: Doobie Labs. Check them out on Instagram.
• Third place: Skyworld. Check them out on Instagram.

Best Hybrid Flower: The Kaleidoscope Collective, Permanent Marker

Permanent Marker is small-batch craft done the right way. It’s rich and earthy, the kind of terpene experience that sticks with you long after the bowl burns out.

This hybrid hits a clean balance between head and body, so it plays just as well for a social session as it does for a quiet night in.

Check out the winners:

• First place: Kaleidoscope. Check them out on Instagram.
• Second place: House of Sacci. Check them out on Instagram.
• Third place: 6 Point Cannabis. Check them out on Instagram.

Best Infused Pre-Rolls: RYTHM, Strawberry Shortcake Remix

RYTHM knows how to take a classic pre-roll and turn the volume up. Built on iconic strains and reliable effects, the brand has earned consumer trust through precision rolling and big flavors.

Strawberry Shortcake Remix is a perfect example of that approach. Expect creamy strawberry on the inhale, rich and sweet, followed by an infused kick that pushes it well beyond the average pre-roll.

Check out the winners:

• First place: RYTHM. Check them out on Instagram.
• Second place: PICC. Check them out on Instagram.
• Third place: Skyworld. Check them out on Instagram.

Best Pre-Rolls: Runtz, Obama Runtz

Of course Runtz is putting out the most fire Runtz. The brand built its name on this strain, and Obama Runtz proves they know exactly what they’re doing.

It’s sweet, gassy, and loud on the palate, with a strong indica lean that hits deep and lasts. The experience evolves as you smoke it, staying euphoric, engaging, and well-balanced from start to finish. Perfectly rolled and packed in a glass tube, this is craft done right.

Check out the winners:

• First place: RUNTZ. Check them out at Torches.
• Second place: PUFF. Check them out on Instagram.
• Third place: High Peaks. Check them out on Instagram.

Best Non-Distillate Vapes: MFNY, Hash Burger

MFNY does everything single-source at its Hudson Valley farm. Seed-to-shelf means they control every step from growing to harvesting to processing. The attention to detail shines through in every hit.

Hash Burger throws a loud cloud of sweet spicy, lemony terps up front, with woody pine and florals on the exhale. Made from fresh-frozen flower using hydrocarbon extraction, this is live resin with full-spectrum cannabinoids and natural terpenes.

Check out the winners:

• First place: MFNY. Check them out on Instagram.
• Second place: Jetty Solventless. Check them out on Instagram.
• Third place: RYTHM. Check them out on Instagram.

Best Distillate Vapes: Heady Tree, Gas Leak

Heady Tree is dedicated to delivering top-quality cannabis products to the New York community. They embrace organic farming principles, avoiding synthetic fertilizers and pesticides in their climate-controlled greenhouses.

Gas Leak is a perfect showcase of that commitment. Bold diesel flavor meets earthy pine-box-style undertones that hit smooth and stay true to the classic gas terp profile.

Check out the winners:

• First place: Heady Tree. Check them out on Instagram.
• Second place: DIME Industries. Check them out on Instagram.
• Third place: SLUGGERS. Check them out on Instagram.

Best Edibles: Incredibles, Empire State Bar

Incredibles has been in the game since 2010. They first launched homemade cookies to help Grandma Noni, and it grew into a brand that helped define what reliable, well-crafted edibles should be.

The Empire State Bar is a perfect expression of that legacy. Dreamy milk chocolate, rich buttery toffee, and the sweetest buzz. Chef’s kiss. This is the kind of chocolate that reminds you why the name Incredibles fits.

Check out the winners:

• First place: Incredibles. Check them out on Instagram.
• Second place: Green Spectrums. Check them out on Instagram.
• Third place: MFNY. Check them out on Instagram.

Best Beverages: Layup, Fruit Punch

Layup is perfect when you want something refreshing and easy to drink, with a slow and steady high.

Fruit Punch is sweet and tart, but stays clean and refreshing without trying too hard. Keep your eyes on this brand. Layup feels modern, intentional, and incredibly drinkable.

Check out the winners:

• First place: Layup. Check them out on Instagram.
• Second place: High Peaks. Check them out on Instagram.
• Third place: Wildside. Check them out here.

<p>The post New York Cannabis Cup Winners: The Brands and Products That Took Top Honors first appeared on High Times.</p>

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On February 7, High Times is bringing the New York Cannabis Cup Awards Night to Sony Hall, turning one of Manhattan’s most iconic venues into a full-spectrum celebration of weed, culture and community.

This isn’t a trade floor or a daytime expo. It’s an evening built for brands, retailers, judges, press and longtime supporters of the Cup to come together, hand out hardware and let New York do what it does best: turn cannabis into a moment.

The night runs from 8 PM through midnight and blends live music, comedy, awards and activations into one continuous experience. Guests will move freely between tables and the floor, with curated stations spread throughout the venue.

The Program

The evening opens with a live Bob Marley greatest hits set, setting the tone before the official Cannabis Cup Awards begin. Comedian Derek Gaines hosts the night, weaving stand-up and crowd interaction into the ceremony as trophies are handed out across categories judged by New York consumers.

Veteran DJ and radio host Bobby Konders anchors the room as DJ and MC, guiding the flow of the awards and keeping the energy high. After the final awards are announced, the night shifts gears.

A special musical performance takes the stage late in the evening. We don’t wanna spoil the surprise but… Let’s just say New York hip-hop history may get involved, and the lyrics might sound slightly… greener than usual.

After midnight, DJ Dede Lovelace takes over to carry the room into the afterparty.

What’s Happening on the Floor

Beyond the stage, the venue is packed with interactive activations designed to keep people moving, mingling and participating throughout the night.

Expect joint rolling, a dedicated dab room, a cannacigar cart, live interviews on the High Times couch, photo and video capture with winners, a branded photo booth, merch, raffles, giveaways and classic High Times games. RAW will be on site with a team activation, and guests will leave with a New York Cannabis Cup tote loaded with a 50th anniversary issue of High Times and sponsor gifts.

Additional hands-on judging tables and games are planned, from guessing strains and terpene profiles to classic High Times trivia with prizes hidden throughout the room.

How the Night Flows

Seating is split between elevated VIP tables and general admission floor access, with select floor tables reserved for brands, retailers, press and partners. Guests are encouraged to move freely throughout the venue, visiting tables, activations and the stage area rather than staying fixed in one spot.

The design is intentional. This is not a sit-down ceremony or a passive awards show. It’s a room meant for conversation, discovery and overlap between growers, retailers, judges, artists and media, with the awards acting as the anchor rather than the sole focus.

This night isn’t about announcements or corporate spectacle. It’s about acknowledgement. About recognizing the people and products shaping New York’s cannabis scene right now, while keeping the Cannabis Cup rooted in what it has always been: competition, culture and participation.

The trophies matter. The music matters. But the point of the night is bigger than any single moment. It’s a reminder that cannabis, especially in New York, has always been social, creative and communal.

And yes, staying late is recommended.

<p>The post What Actually Happens at the Oscars of Weed: How the NYC High Times Cannabis Cup Will Go Down first appeared on High Times.</p>

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Interviewing the Torches team was like talking to one person while chatting with four.

First came José, license holder and big-picture hustler from Jamaica, Queens. Then, Jonathan Santana, a former financial advisor who walked away from banking to bet on weed. Pedro Antonio pops in, the Colombian “spice” of the crew, half-strategist, half-hype man. Finally, there’s William Evans, the “honorary Dominican” and in-house buyer, juggling the call while checking on his sick daughter.

They start the conversation the way a lot of good weed stories begin in New York: in two languages, with jokes and a little bit of biography.

“We’re all Dominican,” Jonathan says.

“And I’m Colombian,” Pedro adds. “Got a little Colombian spice.”

Pedro explains how he was born in the U.S., sent back to Colombia as a kid, came back to New York at four, speaking only Spanish, then got swallowed whole by hip hop and the city.

“My mom says I told her I’d never speak English,” he laughs. “Then New York happened. I learned English, loved hip hop, and never turned back.”

When I tell them the true language is the one you use to curse, everybody cracks up. It’s a throwaway line, but it fits. Torches, which is in Manhattan, is bilingual, bicultural, and very much New York: immigrant roots, street logic, and a really elegant address. A social equity dispensary built by these amazing people.

Torches lives inside the former Nat Sherman Townhouse on 42nd Street, one of the most legendary cigar spaces in the city. And this month, it will become a flagship pickup location for the High Times Cannabis Cup Judges Kits.

If you’ve ever dreamed of what it would look like when legacy New York cannabis finally took over the old money cigar lounges, this is it.

“We always had weed in our story.”

Ask who the Polanco Brothers are and José starts in the most honest place possible.

“As New Yorkers, cannabis has been part of our lives for a very long time,” he says. “I’ve been consuming since I was young, and I’m pretty sure everybody on this call has some kind of experience with cannabis growing up.” 

They grew up in Queens in the 90s.

“Some neighborhoods, they got different choices,” José says. “In ours, it was cannabis, mostly. That was the environment. We enjoyed smoking together, and as we saw the game growing, legalization in other states, we knew one day it could be a possibility for us too.”

José came to the U.S. in 1993, at nine years old, not knowing the language. School wasn’t his strong suit. So instead of chasing degrees, he did what a lot of immigrants do when they want to earn their place: he started businesses. He built a family construction company from nothing. He ran car-sharing operations years before the big names took over. At one point, he and his circle had around 35 employees. All of that would turn out to matter in ways none of them could predict.

Because when New York’s social equity program for cannabis finally opened, the criteria were pretty specific: you needed

1.⁠ ⁠a cannabis-related charge, and

2.⁠ ⁠a proven track record of running a business for at least a couple of years.

José had both.

“It wasn’t easy,” Jonathan says. “That’s why some big players were kind of upset we got in before they did. They spent all this money lobbying for legalization, and then we show up with more power than they have, because they’re limited in how many stores they can open and how they can enter the rec program.”

They applied in the first round, sweating it out, thinking they might rank high and get in, but they didn’t. Then in 2023, in the second round of licenses, the Polanco Brothers’ name came up.

“Some of my friends thought I was crazy,” José says. “But they helped anyway. Some believed it could happen. The rest is history.”

“Giuliani had a locker down here.”

The hard part wasn’t getting the license. It was everything that came after.

First, they had to find a location in a city where cannabis-friendly landlords were rare, and zoning rules around churches, schools, and other dispensaries made compliant real estate feel like “a needle in a haystack.”

Then they found the former Nat Sherman Townhouse on 42nd Street, a three-story cigar temple just steps from Grand Central. “It has so much history,” Pedro says. “It’s its own story. The who’s who of New York used to be down there in that lounge where José is sitting right now.”

We’re talking hedge funds, banks, clergy, mobsters, politicians, celebrities. There’s a hidden entrance from Fifth Avenue where dignitaries would sneak in without being seen. The lockers in the basement once held private cigar stashes for the city’s elite.

“Giuliani had a locker down here,” they tell me. “The same guy pushing stop-and-frisk laws that ended up impacting so many in our communities was probably smoking cigars in that lounge, thinking through those policies.”

Now, those same rooms are being reclaimed by the very people those policies targeted—through a social equity license, in a legal cannabis shop.

Destiny is a word they use more than once.

When they chose the townhouse, there was a problem with MedMen. The collapsing cannabis giant had a store 860 feet away, and under the rules at the time, that proximity gave MedMen exclusivity. 

If MedMen converted from medical to recreational, Torches could never open at Nat Sherman.

“We were stuck for seven months,” Jonathan says. “We couldn’t open. We had to decide: do we walk away and pick another location, or do we wait them out?”

The Office of Cannabis Management even tried to nudge them away from the building, warning them they were passing on easier opportunities.

“They told us, ‘Real estate is so hard to come by. Pick another location. You won’t regret it,’” Pedro recalls. “They said if we stayed, it could be detrimental to the business. But we kept the dream and the vision.”

It really did come down to the shot clock.

If MedMen had filed to convert before the deadline, Torches wouldn’t exist in this format and the landlord might have demolished the building for a skyscraper. 

Instead, the floodgates opened in early 2024. Torches secured its proximity and started building.

Built by the same hands that grew up on the legacy side.

Torches wasn’t dropped in by a corporate general contractor, but built by the same family and friends who used to hustle to get by.

“We came in as builders,” José says. “We have a construction company. My brothers are the builders. Everything you see here was built by us.”

The townhouse already had something no other building on 42nd Street had: industrial-grade ventilation, designed for heavy cigar smoke. One of only three buildings in the entire state with that level of air circulation, they tell me. A structure literally built for people to consume something in comfort.

“It was meant to be a consumption lounge,” Pedro says. “The bones of the building were destined for cannabis.”

For now, the lounge is used for private events and meetings while New York slowly figures out its consumption regulations. But the infrastructure is there, locked and loaded.

“Like Bob Marley said, ‘what’s profitable’?”

William, the buyer, is the one with the deepest hands-on cannabis history. He started in the legacy market as a teenager, moved with the plant, watched the evolution from cheap corner bags to modern branded eighths and solventless everything.

“We really got our ears to the streets,” William says. “We’re nice people, but we’re not pushovers. People come to show us products. We can tell what’s good and what’s trash. We’ve learned a lot about marketing, too. Some folks come in trying to get over on us, and we close the door. Then two weeks later, they crawl back like, ‘We can do 50% off.’”

For Torches, “Torches-worthy” is a combination of Quality, Price and Relationship: brands that show up, do activities, educate, and give something back to the community.

“There are products for everybody,” William says. “Some people want the best of the best. Some just want a good deal, like a cigarette. We want to make sure the $25 eighth is actually decent, and the $50 eighth really earns that price.”

“Profitable” for José, though, goes beyond the ledger.

“Like Bob Marley said, what’s profitable?” He remembers Marley’s philosophy. “The relationships we’re building here, the currency we’re building for the culture—that’s more than just financial. We’re paying our bills, we’re growing, we’ll open more locations, sure. But profit for me is being in this space, having this conversation, building something for our people.”

“You shouldn’t be buying weed from the same guy you’re buying a sandwich from.”

New York has been cracking down hard on the unlicensed market for the past year, raiding smoke shops, padlocking corner stores selling gummies and mystery “zaza” out of glass cases.

The Polanco crew has complicated feelings about it.

“If you’re asking about enforcement on illegal stores on 42nd, we weren’t too impacted,” Jonathan says. “Here, rent is very high. Most of the raids hit community stores and corner spots in rougher neighborhoods. But if you’re asking about the legacy market, that’s where we all come from. We did the right thing to get here, and we pay a lot of tax. But I still respect legacy growers that take pride in their product, people who built real communities before legalization.”

The line for them is clear: they don’t support people flooding the market with contaminated, unsafe, or purely opportunistic products.

“It’s like what’s happening with some of the hemp stuff,” José says. “People putting anything out there, no pride in the product. If you’re doing that, unregulated, without caring, I don’t stand with you. But the legacy people who’ve been growing, who care, I wish them nothing but the best. I hope they all find a way into licensing and bring that fire to the legal market.”

Then Jonathan drops the line that should probably be printed on a poster somewhere:

“You shouldn’t be buying weed from the same guy you’re buying a sandwich from.”

Fair enough.

“We are the torch.”

Their relationship with High Times started at a cannabis expo and through Josh Kesselman.

“William spotted him,” Pedro says. “‘Yo, Josh is here.’ We went straight over. He was super cool, very real. We showed him a video of the store before renovations, with Nat Sherman still intact. He was blown away.”

Later, Josh came to visit Torches in person, unannounced. He filmed a tour of the entire space and posted it on Instagram, giving them a massive boost with zero ask in return.

“For us, that was huge.”

So why Torches as the flagship pickup location for the High Times Cannabis Cup Judges Kits?

“We really come from this,” says William. “We’re connected to the streets, but we also have this beautiful location in the heart of the city. There are smaller stores with culture, but they don’t have what we have. I feel like we really shine a light on the culture. And we’re still the little guys compared to the big companies. It’s a David and Goliath story.”

Then José brings it home.

“The reason you chose us is because we are Torches,” he says. “We are the light for the ones before us and the ones after us. When you accomplish something, we want to hand you your torch. We picked a name that means something to share, something to celebrate. We want to be like the Olympics. The Cup is the Olympics, and we’re the torch right behind it.”

He’s not exaggerating about location, either. This isn’t just Times Square tourism. It’s 42nd and Grand Central, a literal gateway where the whole world passes through.

“Every tourist, every businessperson, every kind of New Yorker comes through here,” José says. “We’re not just saying cannabis is coming. We’re saying it’s coming elegant, strong, smart, with swag and substance.”

“The people get to decide.”

“We always heard about the High Times Cannabis Cup,” William says. “We’d be like, ‘Oh my God, that brand won it.’ But we were never a part of it. It was all West Coast. Now we get to host the kits in New York.”

They’re showcasing the kits in custom glass cases upstairs, surrounded by the kind of old-world architecture that wasn’t built with weed in mind but somehow fits it perfectly.

“We’re curators,” Pedro says. “We’d love nothing more than to test every kit. But what we love about the Cup is that the people get to decide. No politics. No backroom deals. Just the community judging.”

What they want people to feel when they pick up their Judges Kits:

When I ask what vibe they want people to feel walking into Torches to grab their Cannabis Cup kits, José keeps it simple.

“The same thing they already feel when they come in,” he says. “We want them to know the level of quality in our menu is the same level of quality in the kits. We’ll have budtenders ready to educate, so people know what they’re picking up and can judge better.”

William adds the emotional side.

“I want people to be excited,” he says. “It’s fun. It’s different. You’re part of history. This townhouse is already historic, and now we’re launching something historic again.”

“The people get to decide,” adds Pedro.

“We want to inspire people like us to not give up”

At the end of the interview, I asked if there was anything they wanted to add.

“We just want to inspire people,” says José. “People like us to not give up, to get up and do things. To see that there are professional careers in this industry. We happen to be first right now, but we want to be good at it so other people feel like, ‘We can all do it.’ The more people do it, the better the space is going to be, the better the cannabis, the better the products.”

Pedro sees it as a responsibility.

“You’re talking to people at ground zero,” he says. “New York is still in its infancy as a legal market. We’re just crossing a billion in sales, pushing toward two, aiming at six. It’s still stigmatized. But we’re not going anywhere. We’re going to leave a legacy in New York cannabis.”

If you’re in New York, this is the moment. 

The High Times Cannabis Cup is officially in the 212, and Torches is the place to grab your Judges Kit. 

Step inside the old Nat Sherman townhouse, pick up your box, and make history this year.

Photos by Kyle Rosner.

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When Kyle Copac lights up, he’s not just smoking; he’s reflecting on decades of cannabis culture, change, and persistence. “This is our latest batch of Lemon Cherry Gelato,” he says, explaining how certain strains feel like old friends you always come back to.

That sense of continuity runs through Copac’s story. Raised in Alabama, where cannabis was deeply stigmatized, he never saw a live plant until he was nearly 20. Instead, his first glimpses came through High Times magazine. “High Times had a huge role in influencing my decisions,” he recalls. “I’d read about people like Eddie Lepp, Dennis Peron, and Kyle Kushman; those guys were idols to me.”

High Times as a Gateway

Like many, Copac’s introduction to cannabis started in high school, thanks to an older brother’s friends. He remembers its impact clearly. “I found it incredibly helpful for ADHD. If you’re having a hard time focusing, it can feel like a miracle drug,” he says. But acceptance was far from guaranteed. “My parents definitely didn’t condone it. It was all sneaking out back then.”

That tension, in the plant as medicine versus the weight of stigma, pushed him toward advocacy. “It’s not like you’re doing drugs,” Copac says. “You’re taking advantage of natural alternative medicine. That was a main driver for me early on: wanting to see cannabis become socially accepted.”

After high school, Copac packed up and headed west. Northern California’s Proposition 215 medical program gave him a legal foothold to cultivate, and High Times acted like a guidebook. “I’d see who was winning Cups, read their stories, and try to follow their lead,” he says.

For a young grower, the magazine was proof that cannabis could be both community and career. “Seeing people like Dennis Peron or reading about advocacy work validated the idea that this wasn’t just about getting high. It was about access, rights, and breaking down stigma.”

California’s shift to Proposition 64 with new licenses, zoning, and steep entry costs transformed the landscape. Copac moved north to Oregon and encountered hemp growers. At first, he was skeptical. But the idea of offering a 50-state legal product clicked.

Hemp, Hope, and a Cannabis Cup

“The goal shifted from growing the best cannabis you could grow to growing the best hemp you could grow,” he says. “It was another opportunity to provide cannabis to more people, especially in places where the stigma was strongest.”

In 2018, Copac brought his THCA hemp flower to a High Times Cannabis Cup, something no one had done before. Against a field of traditional cannabis entries, his team at Black Tie placed second. “That was validating,” he says. “If you’re going to lose to anyone, losing to Ball’s Elite Genetics isn’t so bad.”

More importantly, the placement made people curious. “It opened the door for conversations about hemp flower,” he explains. “It was a lot easier to say, ‘Look, this isn’t just me telling you it’s good. High Times thought so too.’”

These days, Copac is back on the East Coast, based in North Carolina. The culture shock has been real. “In California, smoking is overlooked; no one really cares. You’d offend someone more with a cigarette,” he laughs. “Here, you’re in the South again, where stigma is alive, but smoking itself is still part of the culture because of tobacco.”

Hemp shops now dot local streets, something Copac compares to California’s early medical days. “It feels like Prop 215 again,” he says. “Access without the state taxes and heavy-handed regulation.”

Copac doesn’t shy away from the realities of the hemp-versus-cannabis debate. States banning “intoxicating hemp products,” MSOs lobbying to tighten rules, and the ever-present uncertainty of legalization all weigh on the industry. “It’s a shame you can’t coexist,” he says. “But in a capitalistic society, if you’ve spent a lot of money on your license, of course, you want to eliminate competition. That’s just the world we live in.”

Still, he’s committed to rolling with the punches. “Tomorrow isn’t promised in this industry,” he says. “But as long as people want quality cannabis, whatever label the state puts on it, I’ll keep finding a way to provide it.”

Despite the shifting landscapes, one ritual never changes. “I’m a blunt guy,” Copac admits. “I start with blunts, smoke blunts through the day, and end with blunts. Dutchess Irish Fusion is my go-to; it’s got a creamy flavor that doesn’t take away from the terps.”

All images courtesy of Black Tie CBD.

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High Times has announced the highly anticipated return of the legendary Cannabis Cup. With judging kit sales launching Friday, Nov. 7, at select New York City partner dispensaries, the Cup will be the first edition held in the Empire State and the first event of its kind since recreational cannabis was legalized in New York in 2021. Unlike previous years, the 2025 Cannabis Cup is exclusively an open judging process, featuring kit drops at participating retailers across the state.

The relaunched Cup format touts transparency through its consumer-judged “People’s Choice” award format. Submissions opened on Oct. 10, with New Yorkers voting Nov. 7 through Jan. 7 for top products across a wide range of categories.

“The Cup is BACK, baby, and this time, the power is back to the people and consumers are the judges,” said Josh Kesselman, Publisher of High Times and the founding force behind RAW® Rolling Papers. “It’s like we’re going on tour, rolling into markets the Cup hasn’t hit before while having fun and celebrating the plant, the people and the pure joy of getting lifted together. We’re not just bringing it back… we’re taking it higher and elevating human consciousness.”

Launched in the late ‘80s by High Times, the Cup has long stood as the global benchmark for cannabis quality and innovation. The New York launch will be the first major event under the stewardship of Matt Stang and his Cannabis Cup team. In this iteration, the Cup is being reimagined for a new era—one where consumers themselves crown the best in cannabis.

While the Cup historically relied on 28 to 35 expert judges, the format has evolved into crowdsourced rankings, offering up to 228 kits per category in statewide competitions across the country. This shift now forms the foundation of the Cup’s new era.

“As a native New Yorker, I can’t be more excited about bringing the Cannabis Cup to New York,” said Matt Stang, co-owner of High Times. “It’s the greatest feeling in the world to bring it back to the greatest city in the world.” 

Each judge kit includes official competition entries from top brands, a physical scorecard and a link to the official Cannabis Cup Judging Portal, where participants score entries on aesthetics, aroma, taste, effects, and overall quality. Judges are encouraged to post their experiences to social media for a chance to be featured by High Times and recognized during the Awards Show. All scoring remains confidential until the winners are officially announced.

“Good cannabis doesn’t need hype. It needs tasters. This Cup puts hundreds of them on every entry and gives brands the kind of feedback you can build on. No influencers, no mystery judges; just people who know good weed when they feel it,” added High Times Editor-in-Chief Javier Hasse.

Judge kits will be available for purchase starting Nov. 7 through select licensed retailers and online at CannabisCup.com, where a full list of participating dispensaries and partners will be released. 2025 pricing is included in the graphic  below:

“The community finally gets to help crown the champions of cannabis, and I couldn’t be happier that this next chapter kicks off in my home state of New York, ”said Kesselman.

Key Dates:

• Friday, November 7, 2025: Judge Kits On Sale
• November 7, 2025 – January 7, 2026: Judging Timeframe
• Wednesday, January 7, 2026: Judging Deadline
• Thursday, January 15, 2026: Winners Announced

For more information, please visit cannabiscup.com or follow High Times on Instagram @hightimesmagazine. 

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The countdown is on: there are just three weeks left to sign up for the High Times Cannabis Cup New York: People’s Choice Edition 2025, the largest People’s Choice Cup in High Times history.

This year’s competition is recreational only. All products must be licensed by New York’s Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) and comply with state and local regulations. Caregiver products will not be allowed.

Key Dates

• October 10–13: Competitor product submissions in Brooklyn, NY
• October 21: Judge kits available at select dispensaries across the state
• October 21 – December 21: Judging timeframe
• Friday, January 16, 2026: Winners announced

Categories

Competitors can submit products across 12 categories:

• Indica Flower
• Sativa Flower
• Hybrid Flower
• Pre-Rolls
• Infused Pre-Rolls
• Solvent Concentrates
• Non-Solvent Concentrates
• Vape Pens & Cartridges
• Edibles: Gummies
• Edibles: Non-Gummies
• Edibles: Beverages
• Topicals & Tinctures

Why Compete?

The High Times Cannabis Cup is a one-of-a-kind chance to get your products into the hands of hundreds of New York consumers and thousands of eyes statewide. Competitors receive valuable judge feedback, and winners earn official trophies, medals, and brand recognition across High Times platforms.

How To Enter

Competitor submissions will be accepted October 10–13 in Brooklyn:

Location: 170 53rd St., Brooklyn, NY 11232, Unit 216

All entries must include OCM-compliant packaging and labeling, Certificates of Analysis, manifests, and invoices per state rules.

For full entry requirements and compliance details, see the official Competitor Info Deck or contact competition@hightimes.com.

Sign Up Now

Spots are limited. Don’t miss the chance to have your products judged by the people of New York and compete for a legendary High Times Cannabis Cup trophy.

Sign up today at CannabisCup.com

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