With the craze for cannabis, and CBD-derived products, it's no surprise that the product has its own competitions. So that you can choose award-winning products, Mama tells you all about Cannabis Cups.
The history of Cannabis Cups
You may not yet be familiar with Cannabis Cups, and that's normal, since they've only been around for less than 40 years. Back in the 1980s, Cannabis Cups weren't what they are today. In fact, they were clandestine events. They were more like meetings between consumers and illegal growers.
The main aim of these gatherings was to showcase cannabis culture and the best the industry had to offer. Given the success of these gatherings, Steven Hager of High Times magazine had an idea: to create the first official Cannabis Cups. The event took place in Amsterdam in 1988.
Even though it was held in Amsterdam, where in the 80s cannabis was more or less authorized, it was a risky event. Even so, it was a pivotal moment in the history of cannabis.
Top 5 most famous Cannabis Cups
Since that first Cannabis Cups in Amsterdam, things have changed. Cannabis is more accepted these days, even if it is subject to laws. To give you an idea of the community's major events, Mama presents the top 5 most famous Cannabis Cups.
Spannabis Champions Cup
Formerly known as the Cannabis Champions Cup, this competition takes place every year in Spain during the Spannabis convention (hence its current name). Held in Spring, the Spannabis is often considered one of the first (and most important) Cannabis Cups.
High Times Cannabis Cup
Arguably the world's most renowned competition. Founded in 1988 in Amsterdam, it expanded to take place in the USA for the first time in 2010. Since 2014, it has been officially relocated to the USA (due to uncertainties around cannabis-related laws in Amsterdam). Instead of once a year, this cup takes place several times a year.
Iron Expogrow Cup
The other name for the Basque Cannabis Cup. It takes place in the Spanish Basque Country, usually around September. It's part of Expogrow, a multi-faceted exhibition on the world of cannabis.
Copa Del Plata
It's a South American competition, as you might have guessed from the name. It takes place every year in Argentina. In 2019, this cup celebrated its 18th anniversary, making it one of the longest in the Americas.
Highlife Cannabis Cup
It's Europe's oldest cup, first held in 1994. Judging takes place over 2 months, during which connoisseurs blind-test 15 varieties.
Evaluation criteria and categories
Since the world of cannabis is constantly developing, evaluation criteria are evolving. What's more, each competition has its own criteria and categories. Some cups have different prizes for different categories.
However, some categories are more common than others and are generally found in most Cannabis Cups. These categories include:
- the best indica and/or sativa ;
- the best hybrid ;
- the best edibles ;
- the best sublinguals (i.e. capsules, topicals or tinctures);
- the best seed bank ;
- the best concentrates (solvent-based and solvent-free) ;
- the best coach ;
- the best vaporizer (pen and cartridge).
The evaluation process also varies. As you can see, some competitions are spread over 2 months.
The big winners
Of course, it's impossible to list all the winners, given the ever-increasing number of categories and cups. However, there are a few varieties that really stood out in the various competitions.
These include Jamaican Pearl and Delahaze, both of which distinguished themselves at Spannabis.Amnesia Haze and Critical Kush are among the most famous winners of the High Times Cannabis Cup.
If you want quality CBD products, know that you can't go wrong with a winning strain from one of these Cannabis Cups. Professionals have carefully evaluated various varieties to reward only the best. So don't hesitate to visit Mama's boutique for quality CBD products.