Summer starts tomorrow but honestly, we’re in full swing already out here in the Bay Area with world class cannabis and the good times that come with it!
A big catalyst for all the summer fun is the event circuit with things like the High Times NorCal Cannabis Cup earlier this month, the National Cannabis Industry Association Summit in Oakland last week, and the festival scene. Events like Sierra Nevada Music Festival and Reggae on The River are synonymous with great pot and the communities that produce it.
The weekend escapes are a big deal for those who spend the summer producing some of the world’s best outdoor cannabis.
The month started strong with the Cup in Santa Rosa. I had the privilege of covering it for the San Francisco Chronicle’s new cannabis lifestyle site GreenState.com. I got my first bigger media gig the weekend of the cup some years back and it always has held a special place in my heart and that of anyone on the hunt for the world’s finest cultivars.
My task this year was strain-specific, as in the hunt for the best ones! I hit every table searching for what had the best nose on it, trichomes, flavor, and general effects. The outdoor tables I was not as thorough with due to the time of the year featuring last season’s offerings. Everyone else I asked what their best offering was. From there, I determined if I wanted to check out the rest of their spread, much of the time I did because of all the killer growers in attendance.
You can read all my favorites right here on GreenState.
Generally speaking, the photo to the right featured a lot of what I considered the best cannabis at the cup and I wasn’t far off, that Wedding Cake OG from Alien Labs on the right was runner-up in the hybrid category. Sherbinski brought some Mochi, one of the most developed lines of Gelato and far more elite than the bag seed phenos regularly being passed off as the real deal. Kyle Kushman’s Blueberry Cookies was also a great time.
The concentrates on display were equally fantastic. Some of the big standouts were the Alien Labs collaborations with Moxie, Gold Coast Extracts Strawnana, and the very unique Peach Fuzz collaboration from Jahnetics and Critical 710.
Here are some more shots from the cup!
Reverend Eddy Lepp receiving his Lifetime Achievement Award from Kyle Kushman
This was great.
Gold Coast Extracts regularly ranks among the finest extract craftsmen in California as the case shows.
LA Kush took home Third Place in both the Indica and Hybrid flower categories.
The Wailers!
311 a week shy of their 27th anniversary.
After a quick break, it was off to the National Cannabis Industry Association’s Summit and Expo in Oakland. The Friday before the summit began I decided to have a cannabis contest because I figured it would have a funny “best pot in the industry ” vibe. Sometimes in the fast moving world of cannabiz, people forget what really matters after the social justice and community building, who has the best pot.
Adding to the fun of everything, our hometown Golden State Warriors won their second NBA championship in three years.
The contest went awesome, we got great entries from Tahoe Wellness Collective, 3C Farms from SoCal, and elite Bay Area delivery service C.R.A.F.T. You can read all of the results from our contest and the rest of my three days of NCIA coverage over on Cannabis Now.
Needless to say, it’s always a pleasure to talk to the thought leaders in this emerging industry about the recent developments in their areas of expertise. NCIA does a fantastic job getting them all in the same room, and sometimes even the same rotation! Keep an eye for stories emerging from the summit in the weeks ahead.
Next month I’m finally heading down to CHALICE!!! I’m looking very forward to covering all the glass and dabs! Let me know if you’re an artist or a company that’s going to be out there. I would love to check out what you’re up to!
Til next time champions!
Jimi Devine 