Winners of the 2018 Northern California Cannabis Cup

The 2018 Northern California Cannabis Cup saw contestants who all brought their A-Game. After careful consideration, the judges have decided upon the winners.

By
Chloé Harper Gold

The NorCal Cannabis Cup brought many accomplished and talented companies, growers, and innovators to the spotlight. After careful deliberation, the judges have decided upon the winners in the following categories:

BEST BOOTH

1st Place: Exotic Genetix

2nd Place: Eve Farms

3rd Place: Nug

BEST GLASS

1st Place: Jerome Baker, Mellow Yellow Bong

2nd Place: Smoke Cartel

3rd Place: iDab Glass

BEST PRODUCT

1st Place: Mint Chocolate ChipSeeds by Exotic Genetix

2nd Place: Loaded Pre-Roll by Golden State Banana

3rd Place: Papaya Flower by Eve Farms

BEST EDIBLE

1st Place: Strawberry Express Edible Tincture by Val’s Organics with the Weed Studio City and Critical Minds

The judges said: “The taste was great; very subtle strawberry that wasn’t overpowering. The texture wasn’t too thick like others. The effects were great, too. Would highly recommend.”

Photos by Justin Cannabis/ High Times

2nd Place: Milk Chocolate Nug Bar by NUG

3rd Place: Origin by Atlas Edibles

BEST TOPICAL

1st Place: Hawaiian Cream by Val’s Organics with the Weed Studio City

The judges said: “It was creamy, smooth, and smelled great. [We] loved the packaging and pump, but some people with arthritis might not love the pump. It provided instant soothing and lasting effects.”

2nd Place: Smarties Cream by Connected in collaboration with Carter’s Aromatherapy Designs

3rd Place: Relief Balm made with Sherbert and AC/DC by Native Humboldt Farms

BEST CBD EDIBLE

1st Place: Caramel CBD Dark Chocolate by Chill, the Highest Chocolate

The judges said: We loved the smoky, deep dark chocolate caramel taste. It was the best of the competition samples and had very high-quality creamy cocoa. The high was sleepy and stony.

2nd Place: Liquid Dreams CBD 20:1 25 mg Capsule by Day Dreamers

3rd Place: Sour Tsunami Micro Dose Elixir by Chad Smith with Receptor Nectar

BEST CBD VAPE PEN CARTRIDGES

1st Place: Pineapple Tsunami by Talking Trees Farms in collaboration with Blue River and Gold Drop

The judges said: This smells and tastes like soil; earthy with a soft sweetness. It had a pleasant aftertaste and a very nice calming, mellow THC effect.

2nd Place: Lemon Penny CBD Vape Cartridge by Gold Drop with Blue River and Lemon Tree

3rd Place: MediHaze by Chemistry

BEST CBD FLOWER

1st Place: CBD OG by C.R.A.F.T.

The judges said: A+ flavor and smoke which we felt behind the eyes and backs of the ears.

2nd Place: Pac-Man CBD by The Kaiser Select with Urb Delivery and The OG Collective

3rd Place: Sour Cyclone by Skunk Tek presented by Fig Farms

BEST CBD CONCENTRATE

1st Place: Kosher Jack CBD by Pearl Pharma with Terps on the Rocks

2nd Place: Black Mamba by MGOT with Terps on the Rocks

3rd Place: Raspberry Sherbert CBD Sauce by Fleur D’Elite in collaboration with Guild Extracts & DH Estates

BEST MEDICALLY INFUSED CANNABIS

1st Place: THCA covered Solventless Geodes with White Buffalo Flower, Gorilla Glue Rosin, and Red Dragon White Buffalo Kief by Sovereign

The judges said: This was so potent that [we] questioned [ourselves] what [we] had planned for the day after the first pull. This was by far the strongest of the samples. The flush was really nice. It burned an almost blue smoke like a temple ball would. The spicy hashish taste and aroma was with [us] the whole time. It burned slow and rested at a low temp until we inhaled again.

2nd Place: Loaded Preroll Blunt by Loaded in collaboration with LA Kush

3rd Place: Pomegrante by Next Level Prerolls

BEST PREROLL

1st Place: Loaded Preroll by Loaded in collaboration with Critical Concentrates

2nd Place: Kimber Cannon by Garrison Lane

3rd Place: T.I.T.S. Preroll by IC Collective

BEST VAPE PEN CARTRIDGES

1st Place: Big Lemons Vape Cart by Gold Drop with Lemon Tree

The judges said: Very clean. Mellow but uplifting high. It had a good, subtle taste—not too harsh.

2nd Place: Mimosa Live Resin Sauce Cartridge by Moxie with the Village

3rd Place: Pineapple Express Vape Cart by The Bloom Brand

BEST NON-SOLVENT HASH

1st Place: Sherbet Live Rosin by Eve Farms in collaboration with Ahti

The judges said: Very appealing to the eye; looks like a glossy Laffy Taffy. It has a softer texture than #3, but that same taffy-like consistency. Nice banana smell and taste with a strong hashy finish. It melted clear, no clear dome, no ash/char on the nail. Very strong and heavy.

2nd Place: Cuban’s Strawberry 90 micron Whole Plant Fresh Frozen Rosin by Critical Cannabis in collaboration with @Eldaggy and Cuban Tech

3rd Place: Papaya Live Rosin by JDI Farms in collaboration with Str8 Organics and Frosty

BEST INDICA CONCENTRATE

1st Place: Albert Walker by First Class Concentrates

The judges said: Larger diamonds in an amber-orange translucent sauce. Pungent, sweet tangerine and fruit aroma. Tangerine flavor with strong cherry undertones and notes of tropical fruit. The effect was a more balanced high—it was very relaxing, but also a bit motivating. It was clean and smooth.

2nd Place: Strawberry Banana by Synergy

3rd Place: Zkittlez by Terp.n.time

BEST SATIVA CONCENTRATE

1st Place: Forbidden Fruit by Gas House with Synergy

The judges said: Looks like a saucy live resin and smells like Tangie and peaches. It has a great taste and a quick, sharp, focused high.

2nd Place: Rebel Sour Live Resin Sauce by Rebel Grown with Humboldt’s Finest Raw and Uncut

3rd Place: Sour Diesel Live Resin Diamond Sauce by Fresh Off the Bud in collaboration with Moxie

BEST HYBRID CONCENTRATE

1st Place: Candy Nova by Team Elite Genetics

The judges said: These are not the largest or most tightly formed crystalline solids in the field, but they possess transparent clarity, which is accentuated by a glimmering, yellow-gold “sauce” that has a thin, fluid quality that lends itself to spreading on blunts and joints. The aroma is overwhelmingly dominated by an aggressive burst of a-Pinene with an undercurrent of cool peppermint.

2nd Place: Strawberry Banana Sauce by Guild Extracts in collaboration Bon Vivant

3rd Place: Lemon Sugar Kush Live Resin Sauce by Rebel Grown with Humboldt’s Finest Raw and Uncut

BEST INDICA FLOWER

1st Place: Creme De La Crème by Team Elite Genetics with OG Collective

The judges said: This had a light green color, covered like a dense forest of clear to cloudy trichomes. It had a pleasant, skunky aroma with sweet undertones and a nice, sweet, skunky flavor with grape undertones. There was a clean, smooth smoke with a light grey ash. A nice high, and not too couchlock-y.

2nd Place: OG T.I.T.S. by Diamondback Genetics

3rd Place: Gelato 41 by Connected

BEST SATIVA FLOWER

1st Place: Gelonade by Connected

The judges said: This had a tangie, floral and gassy scent, and had a citrus, floral, and soapy taste. It was strong and stoney.

2nd Place: Mimosa #A5 by Atrium Farms

3rd Place: Master Blaster by Purple Frost Genetics

BEST HYBRID FLOWER

1st Place: 40 Elephants by Garrison Lane

2nd Place: 365 Lemon Tree by 365 Canna Farms in collaboration with Dying Breed Seeds and Compassionate Heart

3rd Place: Peanut Butter Breath by Dubz Garden

Chloé Harper Gold

Chloé Harper Gold is a writer and editor for High Times Magazine. When she’s not writing about cannabis or going to class, she likes to attend literary events and analyze the horror and science fiction genres.

By
Chloé Harper Gold

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