Marijuana bragging rights are a funny thing. Stoners don’t care what a strain is called, as long as it does the trick. However, give some premium Colorado kind to someone whose idea of good shit is that Mexican dirt weed we all grew up on, and watch the magic happen. Bottom line, we have amazing stuff here in our fair state.
And now the rest of the world knows it too.
Colorado companies dominated the 24th Annual High Times Cannabis Cup in Amsterdam last week, sweeping first place honors in the categories of Seed Company Indica and Hybrid strains, both first and second place in Seed Company Sativa strain, and also taking a third place trophy in the Hash Cup.
Yes, you really did read that correctly. Colorado marijuana was voted tops, besting the locals in the all-hallowed hash and weed capitol of the world.
The winners list is below, and we’ll be running follow-up stories soon on the Colorado victorious (many of whom are still traveling and thus unreachable…) But this pot coup d’etat brings to light a greater issue: why Colorado, and why now?
The answer is simple, explained Ry Prichard of cannabis ubersite Kind Reviews, who I serendipitously ran into in a mid-west U.S. airport Friday evening on his way home from Amsterdam.
“In Colorado, our legal system makes for a better product,” explained Prichard. “We have access to all their genetics, and have for years, but they (Amsterdam growers) don’t have access to our stuff. And, because we have a solid legal framework, all the good breeders are starting to come here because they can work out in the open.”
While the medical marijuana framework established here in our state makes news on an almost-daily basis – sometimes not favorable – that framework has also allowed our industry to flourish in ways that Amsterdam’s has not. Although coffeeshops in the Netherlands can sell cannabis, the cultivation of the herb has remained primarily a black market operation, while here in CO, our grows operate under state constitutional protection. Our established legal structure and open market has wooed breeders such as Reserva Privada, DNA Genetics and THSeeds to relocate our state from their founding locations. And, this perfect blend of legal protection, access to state-of-the-art technology and premium genetics, simply put, makes Colorado the place to be.
This year has long been rumored to be the last Cannabis Cup to be held in Amsterdam, primarily due to changes in The Netherlands’ drug policies. (Dutch police actually showed up at this year’s event, causing a bit of drama in an otherwise flawless celebration.) This begs the question: with the legal system we have set up here, could the 25th Annual Cannabis Cup possibly find its way to Colorado? One could only hope … although, with this year’s results, it seems home field advantage isn’t needed.
Congratulations to all the winners!
Full winners list, courtesy of High Times. (*indicates Colorado company)
Coffeeshop (Cannabis Cup):
1) Barney’s Coffeeshop – Liberty Haze
2) Green House United – Hawaiian Snow
3) Green Place – Buddha Tahoe
Seed Company Indicas (Indica Cup)
1) (tie) Reserva Privada and Reserva Privada Colorado – Kosher Kush*
2) Hortilab – Star Bud
3) Cali Connection – Tahoe OG
Seed Company Sativas (Sativa Cup)
1} Rare Dankness Seed Co – Moonshine Haze*
2) THSeeds – Electric Lemon G*
3) Karma Genetics – Dominator
Seed Company Hybrids (Hybrid Cup)
1) (tie) DNA Genetics/Reserva Privada Colorado – Holy Grail Kush *
2) Cali Connetion – Dead Head OG
3) Serious Seeds – AK-74
Seed Company Hash Cup
1) Cali Connection – Tahoe OG Kush Wax
2) Hogg Seeds – Hydrahash
3) Reserva Privada Colorado – Rascal OG Nelson *
Import Hash Cup
1) Green House Coffeeshop – Exodus Cream Cheese
2) Barney’s Coffeeshop – Caramella Cream
3) Green Place – Twizla
Nederhash Cup
1) Barney’s Coffeeshop – Liberty Melt
2) Green House – Hawaiian Ice
3) Grey Area – Grey Crystal
Best Product
1) Greenhouse’s custom VSyndicate Grinder Card
2) Vaporfection – Vaporfection
3) Big Buddha Seeds – Big Buddha’s Goodie Bag
Best Booth
1) Barney’s Farm
2) Green House Seed Company
3) Big Buddha Seeds
Best Glass
1) Roor – Ray Machine 1
2) Herborizer – Icetube Vaporizer
3) Hitman Glass – The Darby Torch Tube
Freedom Fighter of the Year: Debby Goldsberry of California.
The Dutch Master Award: Henk van Dalen
History of the Cannabis Cup
“We all grew up on”? Since when did the entire population start smoking pot? There are still more not smoking pot than there are getting their beloved “medical license”. Look around you. Just because Broadway and Boulder are now Colorado meccas for pot smoking, this does not make it popular among the general population. Maybe you are too involved with the movement to see outside of the haze it creates.
Erik, you are a douche.
Erik, thanks for your comment. Just to clarify, I was speaking to those who smoke marijuana and who now have access to premium Colorado-grown product as opposed to the stuff we used to get years ago. I did not intend to make any type of sweeping generalization of the general populace.
In a sense, you’re right, it seems there are more in CO who are not using compared to those who are legally partaking with a medical card. However, regardless of whether it’s classified as “medical” or not, a large number of Americans use marijuana daily, including many Coloradans who choose not to be on the registry. And, yes, while it is extremely visible here in Colorado due to the legal regulations the state has established, there is also growing support across the country for legalization. A recent Gallup poll showed a 50% approval rate among U.S. citizens for such a measure.
For the record, I’m not deeply “involved with the movement” but I am a medical patient who uses marijuana to combat some long-term health issues and nasty side-effects from previous medical treatments. I can truly say it’s provided me with a quality of life I would not otherwise have, and I know I’m not alone in this. I’m proud of the steps our state has taken to secure access to MMJ for patients.
Erik, it is VERY popular to smoke pot among the general population… sorry if you’ve been living under a rock, but it’s probably a safe bet that 75% of the people you know would take a hit if someone passed them a joint. From the sound of your comment, most people in your life probably wont clue you in on this until you manage to remove that stick from your @ss.
Yay for weed!!!!! Seriously though, Erik makes a valid point, no need to attack him, it’s just not something he’s into, all good. When I was in college back in a slightly further east midwest state and you’d have said, “In five years you will be living in the marijuana capitol of the world…” I’d have said bully for me, awesome and, wait what? If you know the history of the cannabis plant the way it is villified really comes down to one man back in the beginning of the century, forget his name, he was a tobacco man I believe, but it was his crusade against cannabis that brought him to congress and into where we’re at today. Anybody with a brain realizes that the laws need to change. We’re in the middle of that now, high energy stuff, and it’s exciting regardless of the opinion,,,so ummm…yay for CO bud!!!!!!!
Blane, you’re thinking of Harry J Anslinger. The main reason they went after cannabis back then was for the paper and plastic companies… Hemp is a MUCH better option, but that wouldn’t have been as profitable for certain these companies, so they attacked marijuana and convinced the American public that it was the most dangerous drug out there (today this idea is upheld by lobbyists from pharmaceutical companies, private prison industry, tobacco, alcohol, etc). Harry Anslinger is known to have said things like, “Reefer makes darkies think they’re as good as white men.”, “Marijuana is the most violence-causing drug in the history of mankind.”, “There are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the US, and most are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos, and entertainers. Their Satanic music, jazz, and swing, result from marijuana use. This marijuana causes white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes, entertainers, and any others.” This is basic history and it’s shocking how many people DON’T KNOW why cannabis was criminalized in the first place… they think it’s just always been that way.
The laws do need to change and they need to change quickly… It’s not a joke. Cannabis really does help people. America doesn’t have the resources to continue fighting a war it can’t win and we have no business keeping sick people from a plant that can help them, or telling people their only choice when it comes to recreational substances is alcohol (which is MUCH more dangerous than cannabis)… especially not when that decision is motivated by the profits of a few. It’s shameful and my experiences in life leave me no other choice than to take this issue very seriously… it’s all fun and games until somebody gets cancer 😉
Connie, Thank you for bringing a lighter to shine on yet another beautiful aspect of life in Colorado. The quality of product along with the passion of the growers of Colorado MMJ will soon be the envy of the Planet. I look forward to doing business with the winning dispensaries and then hunting elk with my hunting license or maybe catch a trout with my fishing license. Maybe you don’t have a hunting license or fishing license? So this could be the wrong forum to discus those topics. Congratulations CO on the great medicine.
Ah, the good old days. I remember the first cannabis cup that was held in Colorado: https://thezoeverse.com/colorado-cannabis-cup/