The Prairie State is known for so much more than just vast stretches of grassland. Now four years after we launched the first Illinois: People’s Choice Edition, we’ve seen a wide variety of cannabis products and brands take home a coveted High Times trophy. But this year in particular, Illinois cannabis brands have given it everything they’ve got.
We announced the launch of this year’s Illinois: People’s Choice Edition 2023 earlier this summer, and gathered up some of the state’s finest products spanning 15 different categories, both adult-use and medical. But we previously held the hugely successful Illinois: People’s Choice Edition in 2020, 2021, and 2022. Here’s a glimpse of the trending strains and other products that won over our resident judges back then.
Even though the world was still waist-deep in the pandemic at the time, Illinois cannabis brands came through with shining colors. At the Illinois: People’s Choice Edition 2020, the fourth People’s Choice Edition competition to launch following the 2020 Hemp Cup, Oklahoma, and Colorado, with only seven categories. Back then, Revolution Cannabis brought home trophies with Florida Orange, Gorilla’d Cheese, and Turbo Lemon Cake, while we also saw wins from Bedford Grow with Grape Sugar Cookies, Velvet Glove with Columbia Care, Jenny Kush with Aeriz, Private Stock Mag Landrace with Verano, and Red Line Haze with Cresco, in addition to many other worthwhile wins from other product categories.
In 2021 the category list increased up to eight, and Revolution Cannabis took home numerous trophies for strains such as Blueberry Clementine, Mac & Cheese (Spicy Papaya Cut), Banana Runtz, along with Seed & Strain’s Velvet Glove, Aeriz’s Ice Cream Cake and Jenny Kush, Cresco’s Lemon Bean, and Triple 7’s Tropical Runtz and Rainbow Runtz.
That same year, NuEra, Seed & Strain, and Aeriz won in the pre-rolls category. In concentrates, Revolution Cannabis’s Blueberry Clementine Live Resin, Bedford Grow’s Highwayman Live Resin, and Aeriz’s Bundy OG Budder took home a win. Not to mention in edibles, Illinoisans rated edibles from Bedford Grow, Sweet Releaf, Revolution Cannabis, and Bhang, too.
In 2022 our category list increased again, this time to eleven. Brands such as RYTHM entered the game strong with Brownie Scout (and Orange Herijuana in the medical flower category), Fig Farms brought its famous Figment strain, along with UPNORTH’s Durban Poison, Floracal’s Vanilla Cake, and Verano Reserve’s Guru 0 for medical flower. But the previous year’s winning brands also came in with Bedford Grow’s I-95 and Revolution Cannabis’s Peach Crescendo, Miami Punch, and Gorilla’d Cheese (as well as Buttermilk Biscuits in the medical flower category). Revolution Cannabis, RYTHM, and Floracal were also chosen as the winning concentrates and extracts as well.
This time capsule of winners from the past three years shows the evolution of popular brands in Illinois, as you’ll see below. Exceptional cannabis is still being cultivated by Revolution Cannabis, RHYTHM, Aeriz, Verano, Fig Farms, and so much more, but you’ll also find a handful of new brands that joined the competition this year. So without further ado, here is the official list of Illinois: People’s Choice Edition 2023 winners.
In the meantime, the High Times Cannabis Cup: People’s Choice Edition continues to gain speed, so keep an eye out for winners in other regions such as Oregon in December, Massachusetts in January 2024, followed by Arizona in February 2024.
Indica Flower
First Place: nuEra – Cobra Milk
Second Place: RYTHM – Animal Face
Third Place: Revolution – Purple Monarch
Sativa Flower
First place: RYTHM – Jack Herer
Second Place: Revolution – Raspberry Shortcake
Third Place: Seed & Strain – White Grapefruit Cookies
Hybrid Flower
First Place: RYTHM – Slapz
Second Place: Revolution – Crockett’s Dawg
Third Place: Verano Reserve – Yum Yum Reserve Flower
Non-Infused Pre-Rolls
First Place: Revolution – Blueberry Clementine
Second Place: Paul Bunyan – Macnanna
Third Place: Dogwalkers – Mini Dogs – Animal Face
Infused Pre-Rolls
First Place: Moon Walkers – Coffee Creamer Solventless Live Rosin Moon Walkers
Second Place: Revolution – Future Kush Rocket
Third Place: Bedford Grow – Diamond-Infused Pre-Roll – Hot Mint Sundae
Solvent Concentrates
First Place: aeriz – Florida Oranges
Second Place: Superflux – Live Resin Strawberry Bubbles Budder
Third Place: RYTHM – Live Resin – Super Silver Cookies
Non-Solvent Concentrates
First Place: Fig Farms – Blue Face
Second Place: RYTHM – Rosin – Sunset Sherbet
Third Place: Revolution – Moon Boots
Vape Pens & Carts
First Place: Revolution – Florida Orange Live Rosin
Second Place: Superflux – Strawberry Bubbles Live Resin
Third Place: On the Rocks – Fresh Powder Live Rosin Cartridge
Edibles: Gummies
First Place: Goody Bag – Pink Lemonade
Second Place: nuEra – Pink Lemonade Live Resin Gummy
Third Place: Hedy – Sour Cherry Lime Gummies
Edibles: Chocolates & Non-Gummies
First Place: Incredibles – Peanut Budda Buddha Bar
Second Place: KIVA – Churro Bar
Third Place: Mindy’s – Caramelized Chocolate Marshmallow Graham
Edibles: Beverages
First Place: Señorita – Mango
Second Place: CQ – Cola
Third Place: Artet – Mango Ginger Spritz
Topicals, Tinctures, & Capsules
First Place: Doctor Solomon’s – Restore Transdermal Lotion
Second Place: Avexia – Pain Relief Balm 1:1 CBD:THC
Third Place: Remedi – Rest 1:5 Capsules
Medical Flower
First Place: Revolution – Blueberry Clementine
Second Place: RYTHM – Black Afghan
Third Place: Verano Essence – Strawberry Guava Essence
Medical Vape Pens
First Place: Revolution – Blueberry Clementine Live Rosin Cart
Second Place: Beboe – Inspired Vape Pen
Third Place: Verano Reserve – Coconut Cream Pie Reserve Live Resin Cart
Medical Edibles
First Place: Nature’s Grace and Wellness – French Toast White Chocolate Crunch Bar 1:1:1 THC:CBD:CBG
Second Place: Bedford Grow – Sea Salt Caramels
Third Place: On the Rocks – Sour Apricot Apple – Cherry Punch Live Rosin Gummies
A special thank you to our partners and sponsors!
Official Intake Partners:
Bronze Sponsor: Kaviar
General Sponsor: Legacy
Very disappointing to notice that in two of the winners photographs, RYTHM – Rosin – Sunset Sherbet and RYTHM – Live Resin – Super Silver Cookies, the concentrate photos are clearly identical!
Not a good way to sell yourself RYTHM, not that I’ve tried any of your products (& which may well be great); I’d suggest that you don’t assume that cannabis consumers are unobservant or blind.
Sorry RYTHM,
I just also observed that 510 cart’s in the photos of Revolution – Florida Orange Live Rosin and Revolution – Blueberry Clementine Live Rosin Cart also appear to be identical, thus I can ‘safely’ conclude that it’s High Times editing that produced these ‘double ups’.
If some of the photos of different products are repeats (and therefore by definition at least one of them is incorrect); What’s the point of having photos?
This article by High Times about the winners of the Cannabis Cup Illinois: People’s Choice Edition 2023 is incredibly exciting and informative! It’s awesome to see the recognition given to cannabis brands and products in Illinois, showcasing the evolution and excellence of the industry over the past few years. Learning about the top strains and products, like Cobra Milk from nuEra and Animal Face from RYTHM, gives readers a glimpse into the diverse and thriving cannabis culture in the state. The article’s detailed breakdown of past winners from 2020 to 2022 adds depth and context, allowing us to appreciate the journey of these brands. Overall, this piece provides valuable insight into the Illinois cannabis scene and leaves readers eager to explore the winners’ offerings. Great job, High Times, for celebrating and highlighting the best of the best in Illinois cannabis!