What began as a humble, clandestine competition for growers in lush Mendocino County has now become a mainstay in cannabis culture.
This year, the famed Emerald Cup celebrates its 20th birthday. The Emerald Cup celebrates all things cannabis, bringing together its diverse community with the producers who actually nurture the cannabis plants we all enjoy and offer them to the public in the form of flower, concentrates, and more.
Each year, the Emerald Cup hosts a groovy cannabis competition with an entire festival surrounding it. They always have live music, typically by way of reggae and jam bands who advocate for cannabis in some way through their art.
The best way to enjoy the Emerald Cup is to get a day pass, a ticket that lets you peruse around the best cannabis in the country like you’re walking down the aisles at Target (and yes, you can drink).
Chill people will appreciate that the Emerald Cup is a bit more down to earth than a lot of cannabis conventions, probably due to its roots in the humble-bro culture of northern California growers.
However, the event started out primarily as a way to showcase different cannabis growing outfits, with each submitting different strains for a heady competition.
This highly competitive cannabis tournament is still the glue that binds the Emerald Cup together. The namesake trophy remains a brag-worthy prize for any cannabis producer, as evidenced by those product descriptions that say ‘Emerald Cup Winner’ you’ve likely seen at local dispensaries.
The Emerald Cup stands the test of time as one of the ultimate grower bragging rights 20 years on. Here’s a bit more about the Emerald Cup and what to expect if you want to attend this year in Oakland.
Emerald Cup 2023’s Prestigious Best in Show Flower (photo courtesy of The Emerald Cup)
The competition
The Emerald Cup is frequently referred to as the ‘Academy Awards of cannabis’, as it represents the best of the best in the industry. Around 100 judges will review different cannabis flower and cannabis products as well as independent lab results accompanying each.
In its earlier days, the competition was solely reserved for cannabis flower grown in the Emerald Triangle, but now the Emerald Cup includes a lot more categories and cannabinoids to reflect the current innovations in the space. Here are the official categories for this year:
Best flower: Sungrown, mixed light, sungrown greenhouse, indoor, 3rd party certified, personal use
Best solventless concentrate: Rosin, ice water hash, personal use
Best cartridge: Solventless, live resin, distillate
Best topical: Therapeutic, personal use
Best alternative cannabinoids: Flower, cartridge, topical, tincture, edible, health conscious edible, beverage, hemp flower, hemp topical, hemp consumable (edible, beverage, tablet, gummies)
Best edible: Sweet, savory, gummy, beverages, beverage enhancer, health conscious
Best tincture
Best pre-roll: Non-infused, solventless infused, solvent/hydrocarbon infused, hemp wrap, deluxe joints
Best dispensary
Most innovative product: Industry, consumable
Best environmentally conscious packaging
Best photo contest: Professional, amateur (Take a look at the 2024 finalists here).
Willie Nelson Award for lifetime achievement in cannabis
Want to go? Here’s what to expect this year at the 2024 Emerald Cup
If you want to enjoy the community, products, music, and overall vibes of the Emerald Cup this year, here’s what you need to know:
Who: 21+ for day passes
What: Emerald Cup competition & festival
When: Aug 17-18
Where: Henry J Kaiser Center for the Arts, Oakland, California
How much:
- 1-day pass: $79.48 after fees
- Weekend pass: $137.88 after fees
- 1-day VIP pass: $355.56 after fees
- Weekend VIP pass: $646.50 after fees
What to expect:
- Cannabis marketplace with hundreds of vendors
- Live music & entertainment
- Food & drink vendors (alcohol served)
- Lectures with Q&As by cannabis advocates, professionals, etc
- Art gallery
- Awards ceremony
- Free samples
Want tickets? Get them here.
