You’ve heard of High Times magazine, right?

Say what? You’ve never heard of them until now?

Wow.

Okay put down your phone, your laptop, your tablet, your kindle, your, your whatever– go to your backyard, find a short rope and please go hang yourself. Now. Chop-chop. 

Wait, wait–stop. That’s a horrible thing to say. Don’t hang yourself. As someone who works in the social service industry, I’m here to show you a different way, a more empowering way.

So sit down here next to me and let me tell you a story all about this magical magazine.

High Times was founded in 1974 by a man named Tom Forcade. Created as a celebration of all things cannabis (and other drugs too), it was counterculture from day 1.  Yes, weed was extremely illegal back then and it still is now. Don’t let these recent laws fool you child.

In 1988  High Times held its first Cannabis Cup, which celebrated marijuana strains the world over. Created by Steven Hager it’s been hosted in Amsterdam primarily but has been making appearances in major cities all over the world.

But this year the High Times Cannabis Cup was held in good ol’ sunny Southern California, part of a chronic, two-week long Coachella in dry ass San Bernadino. Judges handed out trophies for Southern California’s best new cannabis strains, extracts, edibles and products for 2016.

Cultivation outfits like Lorax Labs, the Bay Area’s Jah Netics, and Los Angeles leader Greenwolf placed at the top in the Indica, Sativa, and Hybrid flower categories.

CBD-rich flowers, extracts and edibles continued to surge in number and quality, and non-solvent hash hit new heights with Crown Extracts’ Green Giant Strawberry Banana.

For a complete list of winners, check out the High Times website or scroll down:

Best Glass

1st: Phunky Feel Tips by Phunky Feel Tips

2nd: Moxie X Hitman Recycler by Moxie

3rd: Nexus Glass by Vader/Nexus

Best product

1st: Krypted Inc. Medicated E-Juice by Krypted Inc.

2nd: Caviar Gold by Caviar Gold

3rd: Cloud V Electro by Cloud V

Best Vaporizers

1st: Puffco Pro by Puffco

2nd: 710 KingPen by LoudPack Extracts

3rd: G Pen by G Pen

Best Booth

1st: California Herbal Remedies

2nd: The Conglomerate Village

3rd: Puff Corp

Best Topicals

1st: Prana Roll On by Harborside Health Center

2nd: Veganic Dragon Balm by Buds and Roses Collective

3rd: Treat It – Extra Strength Pain Stick by Gem Stonz Botanicals

Best Vaporizer Pen Cartridges

1st: Cali-O 710 King Pen by Greenwolf with 710 King Pen

2nd: Bhang Black Private Reserve – King Louis XIII by Bhang

3rd: Velvet Vegan Buddha by Vegan Buddha with New Amsterdam Naturals

Best CBD Edibles

1st: CBD/THC Medicated Honey by Critical Concentrates

2nd: Tea Pot – Relaxing Chamomile Mint Lavender Blend by Honey Pot

3rd: Blueberry Vanilla Granola Bar by FlyNHigh Treats

Best Edibles

1st: 500mg Pizza Sauce by Clean Healing

2nd: Peanut Butter Milk Chocolate Crunch Punch Bar by Punch Edibles

3rd: Gravity Lock with Paris OG by Goodies by MaGooch

Best Non-Solvent Hash

1st: Strawberry Banana Flower Rosin Veganic Grown by Green Giant Grows by Crown Extracts

2nd: Kimbo Kush Cubantech Drysift by Exotic Genetix

3rd: Kookies by Moxie and Nevada Pure

Best CBD Concentrates

1st: Goji D.C. by Moxie and Nevada Pure

2nd: Anonymous CBD Nug Run Shatter by Crown Concentrates

3rd: Harle-Tsu CBD Sap by Dabbenport Extracts

Best Indica Concentrates

1st: Strawberry Banana by Greenwolf and Loudpack with Moxie Genetics

2nd: Crown OG Live Resin Sugar by Crown Genetics

3rd: Josh D OG Kush by The Kind Center with Unregistered Extracts

Best Sativa Concentrates

1st: Purple Tangie by Zeinstein Gardens with Loudpack and Moxie Extracts

2nd: Lucky 13 by Quality Concentrates

3rd: Strawberry Crown Live Resin Crumble by Crown Genetics with Green Tree Remedy and Dabblicious Extracts

Best Hybrid Concentrate

1st: Strawberry Banana Lemonade by Greenwolf and Moxie 710

2nd: Zkittlez by Southern Humboldt Farms Collective

3rd: Chem Dawg by Critical Concentrates

Best CBD Flowers

1st: Mai Tai Cookies by WHTC and Terraform Genetics

2nd: Vitamin CBD by Guild Cannabis

3rd: Toci by Med Tree Seeds and Brown Dog Cannabis

Best Indica Flowers

1st: Grape Stomper OG by Mass Cannabis

2nd: Kushco OG by The W.E.E.D. Studio City with Kushco

3rd: JAH Cookies by JAHnetics

Best Sativa Flowers

1st: Mega Queso by Happy Leaf with Nameless Genetics

2nd: You Don’t Know Jack by Lorax Labs with Cannasutra and 420DLVRY

3rd: Purple Tangie by Greenwolf with Zienstein Garden

Best Hybrid Flowers

1st: CannaSutra OG by Chronic Capital with Lorax Labs and CannaSutra

2nd: LA Dizzy OG by Crown Genetics with Greenwolf

3rd: Starkiller OG by Rare Dankness

KushCA would like to personally thank all the winners of the 2016 Cannabis Cup.  I would also like to state if you have any leftovers, we here at KushCA will help you get rid of them! 

Petey Wheatstraw

My name is Petey Wheatstraw, also known as Charles Stevens. I’m an avid marijuana smoker, writer, devoted father and non-profit minion– not necessarily in that order. A Chicago native I’ve lived off and on in the Bay Area since 1996. Seven years ago I finally settled here to capture the changing face of our communities.

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