We’re proud to announce that our newest cannabis cup competition will be uniting the many unique products in Massachusetts! The state is already home to a blossoming cannabis industry with plenty of unique products to experience.

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

The Cannabis Cup People’s Choice was born in 2020 and hasn’t taken a break on awarding the best cannabis around the country in 2021 and beyond. Despite the chaotic times we’ve all been having, we knew that cannabis cultivators were still pumping out award-winning products and that people around the country wanted to find the best weed. The People’s Choice concept opened up the Cannabis Cups to anyone who wanted to be a judge. Now with up to 228 Judge Kits per category, Judge Kits are no longer reserved only for the Wiz Khalifas and Jack Herers of the world.

For each competition, we now have 1,500-2,500 Judge Kits available across the state. Judges from all walks of life have lined up before the opening of their local dispensaries to be the first to get their Judge Kits. With categories ranging from Indica Flower to Sativa Flower, Vape Pens to Concentrates, and Edibles to PreRolls, there’s something for every cannabis enthusiast. Each Judge Kit comes with a hefty variety of samples from the top brands in each state, all of which judges can score their products 1-10 on Aesthetics, Aroma, Taste, Effects, Burnability and other criteria.

For example, most Flower kits have (28) one-gram entries for a full ounce, broken down into 28 tasty samples to experience. Each kit is complete with the competition samples and a scorecard that gives each judge an access code to the High Times Judge Portal (CannabisCup.com/Judge), all of it contained in a swaggy High Times Judge backpack that you can rock foryears to come. Ifyou haven’t been a judge in the past because you were never selected, now is the time to get in on the action. Visit CannabisCup.com/ Preregister to get updates.

In just under two years since its inception, the Cannabis Cup People’s Choice has toured from Oklahoma to Michigan, Illinois to California, and has launched the Cups into new States like Arizona and Massachusetts for the first time in the Cup’s 35-year history. As other states have continued to embrace cannabis legalization, High Times will be supporting them along the way, ready to host even more Cannabis Cups.

On April 20,2021 in Michigan, crowds of judges lined up early to be the first to get their hands on their beloved Judge Kits, which varied between 13 different categories. Local community favorite, LocalGrove, came out on top with 1st Place wins for Indica Flower, Hybrid Flower, Medical Flower and Medical Pre-Rolls for their MAC1 and Runtz strains, with culture-driven cannabis company, Heavyweight Heads, stealing 1st Place in Sativa Flower for their Orangutan buds.

For the first-ever launch in Arizona, the Cup brought to light the fact that consistency across states is crucial. Alien Labs, who came off of recent SoCal wins, brought their talents to the state of Arizona and took home 1st Place for Indica and Sativa Flower for their Kryptochronic and Melonade varieties, respectively, plus Gelato 41 Pre-Rolls. Meanwhile, Connected rings in 1st Place Hybrid Flower for Gushers. For all of our concentrate-lovers out there, look no further than Shango’s Alien Cookies Live Rosin or Item 9 Labs’ Black and Blue Kush Vape Pen. Hungry? Snack (carefully) on Baked Bros’ Stoney Gummies or Ediquette Edibles’ Hazelnut Tmffles, which one judge describes as “out-of-this-world indulgent.”

Up in the hills of Northern California where cannabis has a long-standing history, legendary brands and new brands alike took their place on stage. Tenured winner, Sovereign, reigned supreme with 1st Place Hybrid Flower for MAC, while Atrium Cultivation won 1st Place Indica Flower for Juice Z, and Garcia Hand-Picked plucked out 1st Place Sativa Flower for their Super Lemon Haze.

Returning to the wild west of Oklahoma at summer’s end, we saw huge improvements in quality of product from 2020 to 2021. Small family operation, Icy Melts, tookhome 1st Place fortheir Cart Creek Hash Rosin Stix, while Texoma Labs clocked in on top for Pre-Rolls with their Dirty 30’s joints. Desert Extracts’ Slow Burn and Releaf Extracts took home 1st Place Indica Concentrates and Sativa Concentrates, respectively, and none other than Cicada Labs x Jubel Exotics collabing for the 1st Place Non-Solvent Concentrate, DK Smash Live Rosin Batter. To top it off, F5 Farms takes home 1st Place Sativa Flower, Phresh Harvest wins Hybrid Flower, and newcomer Gas Giant wins 1st Place Indica Flower for Oklahoma’s 2021 Cup.

With another inaugural launch into a new state, the People’s Choice Cup found top-ranking products in the OT Commonwealth of Massachusetts. With one of the biggest showings of judges on the day of on-sale, we knew Mass was ripe for the Cup. Priding themselves on pioneering authenticity, Happy Valley impressed the crowds with 1st Place Hybrid and Sativa Flower wins, while Bountiful Farms takes 1st Place Indica Flower, establishing a new standard of excellence in the market. For the Pre-Roll enthusiasts, Nova Farms packs major heat with their Southie Sundae Infused Blunt. Quality concentrates and oils anyone? Rhythm takes 1st Place Concentrates, while Church and Insa bring home 1st Place trophies for Indica Vape Pens and Sativa Vape pens, respectively. See the rest of Massachusetts’s firstever Cannabis Cup winners at Cannabiscup.com. Big thank you to our partner, NETA, for making all of this possible from compliance to logistics.

As the leaves changed colors in Illinois, it was time for the Cup’s 2nd calling to see who’s been hard at work in the past year. Remember when Revolution Cannabis won six out of seven awards in 2020? That seems to be fueling some fierce competition in the State. Backing up their previous sweep, Revolution takes home 1st Place trophies for Indica Flower, Sativa Flower and Concentrates, plus four other awards, but Triple 7 came in hot with 1st Place Hybrid Flower, NuEra with the highest-ranking Pre-Rolls, and Select taking the cake with their Ray Charles Elite Live Resin Vapes. Bedford Grow stole the Edibles show with 1st Place in both Gummies and Non-Gummies categories. We love watching this market develop with new winners every year.

Last but not least of 2021, Cannabis Cup Nevada judges are off to the races on judging at the time of writing this. We’re thrilled to see the results unfold and announce the winners at the end of 2021.

Overall, the Cannabis Cup People’s Choice saw in its second year a total of 1,220 entries across 366 unique brands. 70 Cannabis Cup trophies and 140 medals will have been received by master cultivars, processors, and manufacturers that have earned their stripes and can indulge in the fruits of their labor. Over 12,000 Judge Kits were distributed across all competitions where judges went hard at work to test samples and provide scores and feedback on all products, all of which go back to the competing brands so they can see direct consumer feedback on their products. There is never any tampering with scores or reviews, so judges will always truly determine the winners, and competitors will receive all judge feedback—whether wonderfully positive or brutally negative.

The Cannabis Cups are for consumers to learn about all of the products they have access to and to determine who is the best. They are also for the brands to learn more about their customer base, improve upon their products and to expand the success of their businesses. We will continue to plan and execute Cannabis Cups in territories where it is legal, and continue to shine a light on the Cannabis Cup-winning brands around the world in 2022 and beyond.

To see all Cannabis Cup People’s Choice winners and upcoming competitions, visit CannabisCup.com and email us at Advertising@hightimes.com for more info on competing, or Competition@hightimes.com for more info on judging.

The post The People Have Chosen appeared first on High Times.

The post The People Have Chosen appeared first on Paradise Found.

The time has come to announce the proud winners of the Cannabis Cup People’s Choice Edition in the “Silver State” of Nevada. While the famed cannabis cup event has gone virtual, you can still bet that the competition and winning products are better than ever before. Join us in congratulating the many well-deserved winners of the Cannabis Cup Nevada: People’s Choice Edition 2021.

We’d like to extend a huge thank you to all the judges who dedicated themselves to judging the competition entries, helping us crown the best of Nevada. There were some seriously solid contenders, and we can’t wait to return next year!

This competition wouldn’t be possible without the support from our sponsors. We’d like to give a special shout out to our Presenting Sponsor CAMP, our Silver Sponsors FloraVega and Elusive Handcrafted Cannabis and our Bronze Sponsor Bohemian Brothers. Also, big thanks to our General Sponsors Silver State Relief, Kanha, Shango, Srene, Rove and Medizin.

Finally, we’d like to thank our intake partner, Exhale, as well as our retailers: Jade, Exhale, Jardín, The Sanctuary, Zen Leaf, Cookies on Flamingo, Essence, Cookies on the Strip, Essence, Silver Sage Wellness and Oasis.

For more info on how to become a judge and to sign up for updates, please visit CannabisCup.com/preregister.

Indica Flower

First Place: The Grower Circle – Pellegreeno

Second Place: Aether Gardens – Slurricane #7

Third Place: FloraVega – Chernobyl

Sativa Flower

First Place: Matrix – Super Sour Diesel

Second Place: Medizin – Chloe

Third Place: FloraVega – Tropicanna Punch

Hybrid Flower

First Place: Virtue – Diamond Dust

Second Place: Medizin – White Truffle

Third Place: Fiore – Wedding Pie

Pre-Rolls

First Place: Verano – Swift Lifts Gelato Pre-Rolls

Second Place: Qualcan – Drago Pre-Roll

Third Place: Cannabiotix – Kush Mountains Pre-Roll

Infused Pre-Rolls

First Place: The Grower Circle – Cosa Nostra Infused Pre-Roll

Second Place: CAMP – Animal Face Infused Pre-Roll

Third Place: Featured Farms x Nature’s Chemistry – OG Kush Infused Pre-Rolls

Sativa Concentrates

First Place: City Trees – Apricot Crumble Sativa Live Resin Sauce

Second Place: Matrix – Durban Tang Sativa Live Resin Syringe

Third Place: Verano – G Wagon Sativa BHO Live Badder

Indicia Concentrates

First Place: Aether Gardens – Banana Ice Water Indica Live Rosin

Second Place: Melting Point Extracts – Duct Tape Indica Live Resin Sauce

Third Place: Huni – Peach Crescendo Indica Live Resin Budder

Sativa Vape Pens

First Place: City Trees – Apricot Crumble Sativa Live Resin Vape

Second Place: Matrix – Tangilope Sativa Live Resin Vape Pen

Third Place: Medizin – Hawaiian Butterscotch Sativa Vape

Indica Vape Pens

First Place: Church – Runtz Indica Vape

Second Place: Rove – Lychee Indica Vape Pen

Third Place: CAMP – Rainbow OG Live Rosin Indica Vape

Edibles: Gummies

First Place: Shango – Watermelon Gummies

Second Place: Dixie – Tropic Twist Gummies

Third Place: Encore Edibles – Berry Burst Indica Gummies

Edibles: Non-Gummies

First Place: Qualcan – Fruity Rice Crispy

Second Place: Incredibles – Black Cherry 1:1 Bar

Third Place: Dixie – Fruit Punch Elixir

The post The Winners of The Cannabis Cup Nevada: People’s Choice Edition 2021 appeared first on High Times.

The post The Winners of The Cannabis Cup Nevada: People’s Choice Edition 2021 appeared first on Paradise Found.