The Cannabis Cup People’s Choice was born in 2020 and hasn’t taken a break on awarding the best cannabis around the country in 2021 and beyond. Despite the chaotic times we’ve all been having, we knew that cannabis cultivators were still pumping out award-winning products and that people around the country wanted to find the best weed. The People’s Choice concept opened up the Cannabis Cups to anyone who wanted to be a judge. With up to 228 Judge Kits per Category, Judge Kits no longer belong only to Jack Herers and Wiz Khalifas.

We now have between 1,500 and 2,500 judge kits available throughout the state for each competition. All walks of life are now lined up to receive their Judge Kits before their dispensaries open. With categories ranging from Indica Flower to Sativa Flower, Vape Pens to Concentrates, and Edibles to PreRolls, there’s something for every cannabis enthusiast. The Judge Kit contains a large selection of products from some of the most renowned brands of each state. Each judge can assign a score of 1-10 to their products based on aroma, taste, effects, burnability, and other factors.

Most Flower kits contain 28 full-ounce entries of one-gram, which are then broken down into 28 different delicious tasting samples. Each kit is complete with the competition samples and a scorecard that gives each judge an access code to the Chronic News Judge Portal (CannabisCup.com/Judge), all of it contained in a swaggy Chronic News Judge backpack that you can rock foryears to come. Ifyou haven’t been a judge in the past because you were never selected, now is the time to get in on the action. Register at CannabisCup.com/ to receive updates.

In just under two years since its inception, the Cannabis Cup People’s Choice has toured from Oklahoma to Michigan, Illinois to California, and has launched the Cups into new States like Arizona and Massachusetts for the first time in the Cup’s 35-year history. Chronic News will support the states that have legalized cannabis, and is available to host more Cannabis Cups.

Judges gathered early in Michigan to grab their Judge Kits on April 2021. There were 13 categories to choose from. LocalGrove won 1st place for Indica Flower. Hybrid Flower. Medical Flower. Medical Pre-Rolls. Heavyweight Heads was the winner for Sativa Flower.

Cup highlighted that consistency is key for a successful launch in Arizona. Alien Labs was a SoCal winner and brought their expertise to Arizona. They won 1st place for Indica Flower and Sativa Flowers for the Kryptochronic varieties and Melonade varieties respectively. Gelato 41 Prerolls were also awarded. In the meantime, connected rings were awarded 1st Place Hybrid Flower to Gushers. For all of our concentrate-lovers out there, look no further than Shango’s Alien Cookies Live Rosin or Item 9 Labs’ Black and Blue Kush Vape Pen. Hungry? Snack (carefully) on Baked Bros’ Stoney Gummies or Ediquette Edibles’ Hazelnut Tmffles, which one judge describes as “out-of-this-world indulgent.”

In the mountains of Northern California, cannabis is a well-known and respected industry. Sovereign was the tenured winner and won 1st place Hybrid Flower at MAC. Atrium Cultivation took 1st place Indica Flower to Juice Z. Garcia Hand-Picked claimed 1stplace Sativa Flower to their Super Lemon Haze.

Returning to the wild west of Oklahoma at summer’s end, we saw huge improvements in quality of product from 2020 to 2021. Small family operation, Icy Melts, tookhome 1st Place fortheir Cart Creek Hash Rosin Stix, while Texoma Labs clocked in on top for Pre-Rolls with their Dirty 30’s joints. Desert Extracts’ Slow Burn and Releaf Extracts took home 1st Place Indica Concentrates and Sativa Concentrates, respectively, and none other than Cicada Labs x Jubel Exotics collabing for the 1st Place Non-Solvent Concentrate, DK Smash Live Rosin Batter. To top it off, F5 Farms takes home 1st Place Sativa Flower, Phresh Harvest wins Hybrid Flower, and newcomer Gas Giant wins 1st Place Indica Flower for Oklahoma’s 2021 Cup.

With another inaugural launch into a new state, the People’s Choice Cup found top-ranking products in the OT Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Mass had the highest number of judges that day, which meant we were confident it was primed for the Cup. Happy Valley is a pioneer in authenticity and won the Hybrid and Sativa Flower prizes. Bountiful Farms was awarded 1st Place Indica Flower. They have set an example of quality excellence on the market. Nova Farms is the pre-roll champion with its Southie Sundae Infused Bluent. High quality concentrates and oils, anyone? Insa, Church, and Rhythm take 1st Prize Concentrates. Indica Vape Pens and Sativa Vape Pens took 1st and 2nd Place respectively. See the rest of Massachusetts’s firstever Cannabis Cup winners at Cannabiscup.com. We are grateful to our partner, NETA for all that they did, from logistics to compliance.

As the leaves changed colors in Illinois, it was time for the Cup’s 2nd calling to see who’s been hard at work in the past year. Do you remember when Revolution Cannabis won six of seven awards for 2020? It seems like there is fierce competition among the state’s cannabis industry. Revolution wins the Indica Flower, Sativa Flower, Concentrates and Pre-Rolls trophies. Triple 7 was also in the running with 1st place Hybrid Flower. Select won the title with its Ray Charles Elite Live Resin Vapes. Bedford Grow won the Edibles Show with 1st place in each of the Non-Gummies and Gummies categories. This market is growing with new winners each year.

The Cannabis Cup Nevada judges have been appointed as the last of the 2021 judges. We’re thrilled to see the results unfold and announce the winners at the end of 2021.

Overall, the Cannabis Cup People’s Choice saw in its second year atotal of 1,220 entries across 366 unique brands. Masters cultivars, manufacturers, and processors that have made it to the top of their fields will be able to receive 70 Cannabis Cup Trophies and 140 Medals. All competitions saw over 12,000 judge kits distributed. Judges worked hard to evaluate samples, provide feedback and score all products. This feedback is sent back to competing brands to allow them to see consumer feedback. There is never any tampering with scores or reviews, so judges will always truly determine the winners, and competitors will receive all judge feedback—whether wonderfully positive or brutally negative.

Cannabis Cups allow consumers to discover all the available products and determine which one is best. The Cups are for brands to gain insight into their customers, to improve their products, and to grow their business. We’ll continue to organize and carry out Cannabis Cups in legal territories and shine a spotlight on Cannabis Cup-winning brands all around the world through 2022.

To see all Cannabis Cup People’s Choice winners and upcoming competitions, visit CannabisCup.com and email us at Advertising@hightimes.com for more info on competing, or Competition@hightimes.com for more info on judging.