Earlier this month, we announced the launch of the High Times Cannabis Cup People’s Edition in Michigan, but now we’re hyping up the West Coast for the return of its own People’s Choice Awards! Welcome to the High Times Cannabis Cup SoCal: People’s Choice Edition 2023, a recreational-only competition celebrating some of the best cannabis products in the region.

The SoCal Cannabis Cup was first introduced in 2015, where it thrived as an in-person event between 2015-2019. Back in 2015, strains like Flower Bomb Kush, True OG, and Amnesia Haze were the cream of the crop, and categories like “Best Booth” and “Best Glass” were still commonplace. The pandemic may have put a halt to in-person events, but the People’s Choice has taken the nation by storm, with a People’s Choice competition held for SoCal in both 2020 (with winners announced in 2021) and 2022. In 2021, huge favorites like Biscotti, Gelonade, and Lemon Sponge Cake took first place, among a varied selection of pre-rolls, edibles, and more. Our 2022 SoCal: People’s Choice Edition was one of the biggest cups so far, with winners such as Top Shelf Cultivation’s Whoa Si Whoa, Sense’s Pink Certz Flower, Wizard Trees’s Studio 54, and Team Elite Genetics’s Pearadise Flower—just a few of the amazing strains that won over our judges.

Fast forward to this year’s High Times Cannabis Cup SoCal: People’s Choice Edition 2023, and we’re expecting another exciting collection of products to experience. With that in mind, here’s the schedule for this year: Product submissions will be dropped off at the Moxie Lynwood facility between May 8-10. Then our official intake partner, Moxie, will build the judge kits and then we’ll transport the kits to all participating High Times and Have a Heart retailers. On May 20, judge kits will officially go on sale! Judges will have between May 21 to July 10 to test out their goodies, submitting their thoughts on product differentiators such as aesthetics, aroma/scent, taste/flavor, effects/effectiveness, and so much more.

According to High Times Director of Competitions Mark Kaz, 2021 was a record-breaking year in terms of participation. “Twenty-one Cups, 339 brands, 1,389 batches of entries, all judged by about 15,000 judges who helped crown 249 award-winners for best products in their state,” Kaz said. “Our industry is going through a tough recession, restrictive regulations, and plenty of other woes, but one thing that’s for certain is that people want to find out who has the best weed, and we’re here to help.”

For companies who want to submit products for this year’s competition, please refer to the following rules.

Entry Categories:

1. Indica Flower (2 entries max per company) 
2. Sativa Flower (2 entries max per company)  
3. Hybrid Flower (2 entries max per company) 
4. Pre-Rolls (2 entries max per company) 
5. Infused Pre-Rolls (1 entry max per company) 
6. Solvent Concentrates (2 entries max per company) 
7. Non-Solvent Concentrates (2 entries max per company) 
8. Vape Pens & Cartridges (2 entries max per company)
9. Edibles: Gummies & Fruit Chews (3 entries max per company)
10. Edibles: Chocolates & Non-Gummies (3 entries max per company)
11. Edibles: Beverages (2 entries max per company)
12. Sublinguals, Capsules, Tinctures + Topicals (3 entries max per company)

Entry Requirements:

• Flower: (228) 1-gram samples. We will not accept any 3.5-gram entries. 
• Pre-Rolls & Infused Pre-Rolls: (228) samples: Pre-Rolls will be capped at 2g flower-only each; Infused Pre-Rolls will be capped at 3g flower equivalency or 1g concentrate equivalency each.
• Concentrates & Vape Pens: (228) .5-gram samples. We will not accept any 1-gram entries. Batteries required for Carts.
• Edibles: (100) samples with 100mg THC max.
• Beverages: must be a max of 16 fluid ounces, non-glass containers preferred. 
• Sublinguals, Capsules, Tinctures + Topicals: (60) samples with 500mg THC max

In terms of submission pricing, competitors should note the entry fees depending on how many products they submit. While one entry is $250, and two entries is $100 per entry (both non-refundable), submissions of three or more entries is a $100 refundable deposit per entry held, which is refunded when all entries are successfully submitted. Finally, if you’d like to sponsor this year’s High Times Cannabis Cup SoCal: People’s Choice Edition 2023 then all entry fees are waived. We also offer multiple tiers of sponsorship, including General, Bronze, Silver, and Presenting Sponsorships.

That sums up the details of our event this year but check out our High Times Cannabis Cup website to view all of the details.

A special thank you to:

Moxie – Official Intake Partner

Have a Heart – Official Retailer Partner

High Times Dispensaries – Official Retailer Partner

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A majority of the cannabis-related initiatives that were approved were located in Los Angeles and San Diego counties, green lighting the possibility of 70 additional cannabis retail licenses. In California, Los Angeles leads as the most populated county, followed by San Diego County, Orange County, Riverside County, and San Bernardino County.

Los Angeles County voters approved 25 retail licenses with Measure C by 59.88%, which enacts taxes in unincorporated areas of the county. This includes $10 per square foot for cultivators, 6% tax on gross retail receipts (as well as a gross receipts tax, including 2% tax for testing facilities, 3% tax on distribution, and 4% for “manufacturing and other marijuana business facilities.”) Additionally, Santa Monica voters approved Measure HMP with a 66.79% “yes” vote to implement taxes for non-medical cannabis retailers, medical retailers, and all other licensed cannabis businesses (the city currently only has two licensed retailers). Cannabis-related measures in Claremont, Cudahy, Lynwood, and South El Monte also passed. However, there were numerous cities that chose not to embrace cannabis such as Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, and El Segundo all chose to maintain bans on commercial cannabis businesses.

San Diego County, which has only approved five cannabis businesses so far, saw the approval of a cannabis tax through Measure A with 57.28%. This implements a 6% tax on retail businesses, 2% on testing, 3% on cultivation (or $10 per canopy square foot, which is an adjustment for inflation) and 4% for all other businesses. County officials estimate that these taxes could generate up to $5.5 million annually in the general fund, and could lead to 20 new cannabis business licenses. According to George Sadler, CEO of the San Diego-based cannabis brand Gelato, any news is good news. “Access has always been an issue,” said Sadler. “Any progress is a big plus.”

Currently, most of Orange County doesn’t allow for cannabis businesses with the exclusion of the city of Santa Ana. However, last week Huntington Beach voters approved Measure O with a yes vote of 54.69%, to approve an ordinance that will implement a 6% tax on gross receipts for retailers, and 1% of gross receipts for other cannabis businesses (estimated to generate $300,000-$600,000 annually). This could lead to up to 10 retail cannabis licenses. In Laguna Woods, voters also approved a cannabis tax that would go toward general city services with Measure T with 62% of the vote.

In Northern California, Sacramento County voters were presented with a cannabis tax measure called Measure B but it failed. Although 53.49% of voters approved of this initiative, it required a 2/3 vote (or 66%+) to pass. Neighboring cities such as Monterey and Pacific Grove approved tax measures. In Sonoma County, Healdsburg voters approved Measure M.

In San Bernardino County, voters approved a tax initiative in Montclair with Measure R. Central Californians in Kings County, Avenal approved a tax initiative as well with Measure C, as well as voters in McFarland, which is located in Kern County.

While local cities and counties in California delivered on cannabis initiatives, the state has also been implementing other changes recently. 

California state voters also chose to keep Gavin Newsom as governor for another term. Earlier in October, Newsom signed a bill called the “Alternate Plea Act” that will help defendants who have been charged with drug-related offenses. According to the Drug Policy Alliance, the “public nuisance plea will carry the same criminal penalty as the drug offense charged but without triggering the collateral consequences.”

“With this plea option, individuals will be able to resume their life after incarceration and not be blocked from securing housing and employment,” the organization explained.

In September, Newsom also signed a bill to protect employees who choose to consume cannabis off-the-clock. “For too many Californians, the promise of cannabis legalization remains out of reach,” Newsom said in a press release. “These measures build on the important strides our state has made toward this goal, but much work remains to build an equitable, safe and sustainable legal cannabis industry. I look forward to partnering with the Legislature and policymakers to fully realize cannabis legalization in communities across California.”

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