Annual Festival in Amsterdam
The High Times Cannabis Cup is a cannabis festival sponsored by High Times magazine. The event features judges from around the world who sample and vote for their favorite marijuana varieties, with cups (trophies) being awarded to the overall winner in the cannabis variety competition. Since 1997, the Cannabis Cup festival has hosted induction ceremonies for the Counterculture Hall of Fame.
Founded in 1988 by High Times editor Steven Hager,[1] the Cannabis Cup is usually held each November in Amsterdam. The first U.S. Cannabis Cup was held in 2010; High Times now holds Cannabis Cups in Northern and Southern California, Denver, Michigan, Seattle, and Oregon .[2] The High Times Medical Cannabis Cup recognizes medical marijuana in states that have passed medical marijuana laws.
The High Times Cannabis Cup also includes live music, educational seminars, and an expo for marijuana-related products from cannabis-oriented businesses.
History
A DVD called High Times Presents: The Cannabis Cup was made after the 2003 festival.
The 20th High Times Cannabis Cup, held in 2007, featured hosts Tommy Chong and Redman;[citation needed] a film of the 2007 festival was released in the summer of 2008.
In 2010, Dutch police raided the Amsterdam Cannabis Cup location.[3] That same year, High Times mounted its first Cannabis Cup in the United States, also inaugurating the High Times Medical Cannabis Cup, an annual event celebrating medical cannabis. The first Medical Cannabis Cup took place in San Francisco, California, on June 19–20, 2010.
In 2014, after 27 years, Amsterdam held what appeared to be its final High Times Cannabis Cup.[4][5] This decision was partly due to the growing uncertainty about Dutch cannabis laws, the newly available legal cannabis locations in the United States and various other countries, and the after-effects of the 2010 raid. (The Cannabis Cup later returned to Amsterdam.)[6]
In 2017, the festival celebrated its 30th anniversary, with the award show hosted by Danny Danko.[7]
In 2018, the festival was held in the middle of summer, on 13th to 15 July, veering away from its usual schedule.[8]
Categories
Award categories include Best New Product, Best Booth, Best Glass, Best Hash, and Best Nederhash (hashish that is produced only in the Netherlands). A team of VIP judges decides which seed company has grown the Best Indica, Best Sativa, and Best Hybrid Strain, and which company has produced the Best Nederhash and Best Imported Hash.
The U.S. Cannabis Cup recognizes marijuana in states that have passed laws that legalize marijuana for adult, recreational use. Teams of expert judges vote on Best Indica, Best Sativa, Best Hybrid, Best Concentrates, Best Edibles, and Highest Level of CBD in cannabis products (All cannabis products are tested for THC content and CBD content by independent cannabis-testing laboratories).[citation needed] At each U.S. Cannabis Cup expo, festival attendees vote for Best Booth, Best Products, and Best Glass.
Counterculture Hall of Fame
The Counterculture Hall of Fame celebrates the history of the counterculture and the people who helped shape it. Previous inductees include Bob Marley (1997), Louis Armstrong (1998), William S. Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg, and Jack Kerouac (1999), Bob Dylan (2002), Jack Herer (2003), Tommy Chong and Cheech Marin (2007), Peter Tosh (2008) Tom Forcade (2009) and Coke La Rock (2010). John Griggs, BEL (2011), Steven Hager (2012), Ben Dronkers (2013), and Alexander Shulgin & Ann Shulgin (2014).
Australian Cannabis Cup
The Australian Cannabis Cup is an annual cannabis competition held in Nimbin, New South Wales, Australia. It has been celebrated since before 1995 and is known for recognizing excellence in cannabis produce.[18]
The event features judges from around Australia who sample and vote for their favourite cannabis varieties, with cups (trophies) being awarded to the overall winner in the cannabis variety competition and in the best wax , dabs and rosin categories.
History
The Australian Cannabis Cup gained national attention in 1995 when it was featured in a documentary by 60 Minutes. Over the years, the event has evolved, with a focus on two primary categories: buds/flowers and extracts like oils and hash. In recent years, Alec ‘Craze’ Zammitt and Will Stolk, members of the 420 cannabis protest group 'Who Are We Hurting?,' have documented the event through video coverage.
Categories
Award categories include Best Flower, Wax or Dab, Best Hash, (hashish that is produced only in Australia). A team of judges decides which grower has grown the Best Indica, Best Sativa, and Best Hash.
The U.S. Cannabis Cup recognizes marijuana in states that have passed laws that legalize marijuana for adult, recreational use. Teams of expert judges vote on Best Indica, Best Sativa, Best Hybrid,
While in Australia the illegality of Cannabis has made the Cannabis Cup more of an underground hush ,hush affair for members of the tight nit cannabis community.
Impact
This event has played a significant role in showcasing and pushing for change within the cannabis community in Australia and raising awareness about medicinal cannabis, which began being prescribed en masse to the public in 2018.
More than just a competition, the Australian Cannabis Cup fosters community and camaraderie among cannabis enthusiasts and positively impacts the local Nimbin community.
Legal Considerations
The event operates in a legal landscape where recreational cannabis remains illegal at the federal level in Australia. Nevertheless, changing attitudes toward cannabis legislation and the growing medicinal cannabis industry have influenced the event's reception and its role in the broader discourse on cannabis in Australia.
