The Emerald Cup at 20

We’ve heard people say that in Cannabis time, one year is equal to five regular human years. That would make 20 years a century.

Regardless of whether you agree with that math, it’s indisputable that The Emerald Cup celebrating its 20th anniversary this year with an awards ceremony is a monumental milestone.

The die-hards in California’s Cannabis community showed up at the Cup’s new location in Oakland’s Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts in August. The historic event space rose to the occasion with room for an outdoor expo, consumption areas, an indoor expo floor, and a theater where the heart of the show took place. Revelers passed hash holes at the outside lounge, and shared dabs at the PuffCo Pavilion, splitting their time between buying clones, seeds and consumables at the vendor booths, and dipping into the theater to check out the awards.

While it was a scaled-back version of the huge, festival-esque cups of the past, it was still the Cup at its core. Familiar faces mingled with new characters, with music blasting in every space, and as always the crew had a few tricks up its sleeve, including an unadvertised performance by Oakland hip hop legend Too $hort that took everyone by surprise.

The awards stole the show, with electricity in the air as Cannabis creators waited on the edge of their seats for their chance to take the stage. Keith Stroup, founder of NORML, was given the 20th Anniversary Lifetime Achievement Award, for his tireless work fighting for the plant and the community.

Mendo Dope won Best in Show for its headies, its entry in the Person Use category.

Farmer & The Felon and Rebel Grown took first place for their collab Double OG, while Decibel Gardens won the indoor category with Roswell 47 (and had a total of five awards). Terp Mansion won Mixed Light with their Thin Mint x Jealousy, and Chameleon Craft took the crown for Sungrown Greenhouse with their Bubble Bath flower.

John Casali from Huckleberry Farms took the stage multiple times, as he deservedly tends to do at these awards, taking home eight total awards for his products and his many collaborations, including first place in the Solventless Ice Water Hash category with his collab with Ay Papi, the Whitethorn Rose Ice Water Hash 6 Star Full Melt.

Moon Valley Cannabis took home a pair of first place trophies for their Solventless Infused Pre Roll (Neon Panther 0.7g Infused Pre Roll 5 pack) and Non-Infused Pre Roll (Grape Gas 1g), and walked with a staggering total of 9 trophies. Have Hash x Royal Budline took home the coveted first place Solventless Rosin trophy for their Honey Bananas Cold Cure Live Rosin collab (which was featured as the LEAF’s Concentrate of the Month in our August 2024 issue).

Alien Labs also crushed the competition, earning a total of eight trophies, while Holy Water took home a total of six. Focus V also had a big moment, taking home the award for Most Innovative Product – an Industry Asset for its AERIS portable, pocketable rig.

After 20 years, the heart still beats in the California Cannabis Community, and The Emerald Cup proved it. Whatever the future has in store, it feels good to gather and celebrate one another’s wins, and check in with our Cannabis family.