Emerald Cup Awards 2023 Highlights the Best in Cannabis

Taking place at the exclusive Craneway Pavilion on Saturday, May 13th, this private, invitation-only gathering will bring together cannabis companies, Emerald Cup competition judges, contestants, VIPs, and sponsors to celebrate and recognize excellence in recreational cannabis and medical marijuana. The chosen venue, located in Northern California, pays homage to the region's rich cannabis culture and the profound impact it has had on the industry not just in California, but across the United States as well.

The Emerald Cup Awards offer a transparent and reputable platform for California's top cultivators, extractors, innovators, and product-makers to showcase their best products against each other. A certified testing laboratory and a panel of judges with extensive individual and collective experience in the cannabis industry scrutinize hundreds of entries in over 50 categories, including flowers, concentrates, edibles, topicals, and more.

Winning an Emerald Cup Award can be transformative for a brand as it demonstrates their commitment to crafting high-quality cannabis products that adhere to the culture's values. The 2023 Emerald Cup Awards in Richmond will unite the NorCal and SoCal markets, providing new opportunities for farmers and brands while offering consumers more options.

In order to identify the best strains of all time, the Emerald Cup has expanded its approach to cannabis classification, moving beyond the simple indica and sativa labels. As of 2022, The Emerald Cup has collaborated with PhytoFacts® and SC Labs to develop the Emerald Cup Cannabis Classification System, which utilizes PhytoFacts® technology powered by SC Labs.

Cannabis should be categorized by more than just hybrid, sativa and indica strains. The new system groups strains based on their terpenes and flavor profiles, such as Jacks + Haze for Jack Herer and Haze varieties, OGs + Gas for OG Kush and Diesel strains, and Sweets + Dreams for hybrid strains like Blue Dream and Tangie. The Dessert Class would include varieties like Gelato and Cake cultivars.

Although cannabinoids like CBD and THC remain important, research has demonstrated that terpenes play a crucial role in the effects of cannabis. Interestingly, the highest THC content in a Flower entry has never secured a victory at the Emerald Cup. Connoisseurs have long understood the significance of flavor and aroma in achieving desired effects, and the industry is now beginning to back up this knowledge with scientific research. This takes classifying genetics to more than just identifying indica dominant and sativa dominant and factors in their unique cannabinoids and terpenes.

With anticipation high for The Emerald Cup Awards 2023, let’s take a look at a few of the brands that took home awards from last year’s Emerald Cup.

Farmer and the Felon took home Best in Show and 1st place in Sungrown Flower for their Lemon Sponge Cake strain. Farmer and the Felon also placed 3rd for Georgia Pie, 4th for Double OG Chem, 8th for 92 OG and 11th for Sticky Buns in the prestigious Emerald Cup. Fig Farms took home The Breeders Cup with their Holy Moly and also took home a 1st place in Indoor Flower for their Animal Face.

From its humble beginnings as a friendly, yet secretive competition held in an undisclosed location within the famed Emerald Triangle, the Emerald Cup has now proudly evolved into a 19-year tradition of openly celebrating the cannabis plant, its rich culture, and the farmers and producers who bring it to market with integrity.

This extraordinary event features an impressive lineup of chart-topping live musical acts, delectable organic food and beverage options, captivating panel discussions, immersive indoor and outdoor activations, exclusive VIP experiences, and a diverse direct-to-consumer cannabis marketplace.