June 5-7: Product Intake in Roswell, NM
June 17: Judge Kits Available!
June 17-November 5: Judging Timeframe
SATURDAY, December 9: LIVE AWARDS SHOW AT RIO RANCHO EVENTS CENTER!
*30% EARLY BIRD COUPON INCLUDED WITH JUDGE KITS!*
June 5-7: Product Intake in Roswell, NM
June 17: Judge Kits Available!
June 17-November 5: Judging Timeframe
SATURDAY, December 9: LIVE AWARDS SHOW AT RIO RANCHO EVENTS CENTER!
*30% EARLY BIRD COUPON INCLUDED WITH JUDGE KITS!*
August 7-11: Product Intake Across Illinois
August 19: Judge Kits Available!
August 19-October 22: Judging Timeframe
MONDAY, November 5: LIVE Stream Digital Awards Show @ 4:20 PM CT
September 18-20: Product Intake in Portland, OR
September 30: Judge Kits Available!
September 30-December 3: Judging Timeframe
MONDAY, December 18: LIVE Stream Digital Awards Show @ 4:20 PM
October 9-11: Product Intake in Attleboro, MA
October 21: Judge Kits Available!
October 21-December 24: Judging Timeframe
MONDAY, January 8: Winners Announced
November 6-8: Product Intake in Phoenix, AZ
November 18: Judge Kits Available!
November 18 – January 21: Judging Timeframe
MONDAY, February 5: LIVE Stream Digital Awards Show @ 4:20 PM
In the face of COVID-19 with events being forced to shutter across the globe, High Times once again proved it’s resilience despite state-wide lockdowns across the country, and has reinvented it’s renowned competition to let all those at home get in on the fun and crown the region’s best.
For the first time ever, High Times is opening up it’s judging process to members of the public via exclusive kit drops in participating retailers. While normally 28-35 expert judges would alone determine the rankings, the competition has pivoted into crowdsourced rankings, offering 228 kits per category to consumers in state-wide competitions across the country.
The People’s Choice Editions are a new model that will continue High Times’ trend of bringing its signature series of cannabis product competitions online in the wake of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, without any live events or gatherings. These Cups will be the first-ever Cannabis Cups that are open to the public in each state that the competition is executed, and will see the largest pool of judges in history. For licensed brands, this is a sampling dream to get your products into the hands of hundreds of new customers who will provide feedback on your entries from home, plus thousands of impressions. May the best products win!
The People’s Choice Cups are featured all over the country in states where cannabis is recreationally or medicinally legal. If we haven’t announced one in your state yet, we’re working on it! All Cups will be listed on CannabisCup.com. Dates and locations will be provided for both licensed brands to drop product off for Intake, and for consumers to pick up judge kits at dispensaries to become a Judge. As a reminder, there is no live event, vendor booths, or tickets.
The categories for each Cup may differ, but they typically include some of the following:
1. Indica Flower
2. Hybrid Flower
3. Sativa Flower
4. Sungrown Flower
5. Pre-Rolls (Infused and Non-Infused)
6. Solvent Concentrates
7. Non-Solvent Concentrates
8. Vape Pens and Cartridges
9. Edibles: Gummies
10. Edibles: Non-Gummies
11. Topicals, Tinctures, Capsule
You may participate by either being a licensed cultivator or processor and enter product, or you may be a judge and purchase a kit of product to judge. Please send us a note at CannabisCup.com/contact.
Each Cup is different and may require different types and quantities of product per category. Please reach out to CannabisCup.com/contact to request a list of guidelines for each active Cup.
We want great judges who will take the time to fully score all products by the deadline of each competition and give detailed comments on Aesthetics, Aroma, Taste, Effects and other qualities of each product. The growers put their hearts and souls into making these products and we expect the same from our judges. Upon purchasing a Judge Kit, inside of the backpack is a scorecard with a link and access code to the High Times Judging Portal. You will record all scores into the portal for each sample entry. You may post content of judging to your social handles for a chance to be featured and reposted by High Times! We will also pick out great comments from great judges and read them off during the Award Show. Please keep your scoring confidential until the results are announced.
You do not need a confirmation email or an invitation! People’s Choice is open to everyone who can legally purchase cannabis in their state and is sold on a first-come first-serve basis. We will reach out to you if there is a reason we cannot allow you to judge. Otherwise, set a reminder to head to your nearest participating dispensary upon the on-sale date!
For People’s Choice Editions, Judge kits will be priced based on the quantity of product that is entered into each category and may range in price per kit from $100-$300 depending on category and how many items are in that category-specific bag, plus the High Times Cannabis Cup Judge Backpack. For example, if Indica Flower gets 14 entries, the kit will cost about $140 for a High Times curated assortment of (14) 1g samples from the top growers in the state. We strive for below-market pricing so you always get a deal. We will know the amount of product and pricing per kit once Intake is over for each Cup.
High Times will partner with a select few dispensaries in each state to be the exclusive retailers of the High Times Judge Kits. We will release the retail dispensary addresses and dates for pick-up once they are confirmed for each state. Stay tuned on our social media channels @hightimesmagazine and on CannabisCup.com for more info.