The Best Strains of the First Legal Cannabis Cup

The High Times Cannabis Cup made its first trip to California’s state capital this weekend, and the cultivators of Sacramento did not disappoint for the state’s first legal pot party ever.

While Lauryn Hill and Lil Wayne put on spectacular performances in their own right, the cannabis produced by local cultivators was the true star of the show. Many fine flowers were on display over the weekend, but in the end, a few of the big names of California cultivation, who happen to be Sacramento locals, reminded us why they continue to hold seats at the table when discussing the best cannabis on the planet.

Every licensed provider who took part in the High Times Cannabis Cup Central Valley should be commended for their wherewithal to go through with being a part of this historic event. The challenges High Times faced in SoCal from an anti-cannabis local government didn’t repeat when the organization headed north, and the resulting spectacle over the course of Friday evening and Saturday was something to behold.

Now that the historic semantics are out of the way. Let’s talk pot!

The Alien Labs team celebrates their numerous victories.

Alien Labs: Gelato #41 and Wedding Cake

Alien Labs won the weekend. They took home the top prize in two different flower categories, with their rendition of Gelato #41 winning in the indica category and their Wedding Cake taking it for the hybrids. Alien Labs were among those bringing the most hype into their hometown cup. The Sacramento cultivators had basically run out of all their cannabis on day one, but dropped a bit more Gelato for the appreciative crowds on day two.

Lumpy’s Cali Berry

Not far behind Alien Labs was the perennial contender Lumpy. Lumpy has been growing heat for years and doesn’t get enough credit for his craft, though his Cali Berry placed second in the hybrid category and his Lemon Trill third in the indica group. Lumpy also cleaned house in the concentrate categories winning two out of three. The Reckless Rainbow Sauce that Lumpy and Critical Concentrates entered into the indica concentrate category looked like they were from another planet than everything else entered.

The Village’s Mimosa

The Village, who also placed second and third in two categories, faced the dubious task of competing against a bunch of people who were growing pot he helped breed — as he operates as half the Symbiotic Genetics team — but he definitely had the best Mimosa in town. Producing such quality Mimosa was no small task, as 75 percent of the booths selling cannabis seemed to have their own version of it.

Harry Resin and The Kaiser Select’s Pac Man CBD

Cannabis Now contributor Harry Resin, who grows for San Francisco-based Urb Delivery, also had a good weekend. Resin’s Urb Delivery collaborated with The Kaiser Select to produce the Pac Man CBD flower that won the CBD cup. Harry and friends also came in third for sativas with Shoreline OG.

Trophies line the display case at the Connected Cannabis Company booth.

Honorable Mentions

Ultimately, there was plenty of good pot that didn’t get a trophy. For example, the rest of The Village’s spread was exceptional. It included the Sundae Driver #19 and #20 and some fantastic Super Lemon Haze that made it to the podium. He also had a bunch of crazy seeds from Symbiotic, including Purple Punch 2.0 and Banana Punch.

The Connected Cannabis Company’s booth showcased another impressive group of exclusive genetics. They featured the fantastic Gelato 25 x South Florida OG cross named Biscotti. Obviously, the Gelato #41 from the Cookie Fam mothership was also fantastic! It took home first place as the best sun-grown cannabis of the weekend. Their new Limoncello cross also looks to be making waves in the near future.

Not to be left out, the team at Burning Bush Farms out of Sacramento made their hometown proud. Their version of Super Tres Dawg by Top Dawg Seeds was the best version we’d seen of the strain in years. The Gluetech they cultivated was testing at 29 percent THC and their Grape Phantom looked gorgeous.

Finally, two big events nearly got lost in a weekend full of history: Both Cannarado Seeds and Cali Connection released new genetics lines that look insane. Cannarado’s Butterscotch line will likely gain popularity soon enough, while Cali Connection added some great Purple Punch and Cookies crosses into the mix, including Italian Ice.

Outside certain Gelato phenotypes, there definitely wasn’t as many gassy strains at the Cannabis Cup as there has been in the past. The best OG we saw went to Grizzly Peak Farms out of Oakland. It smelt like someone spilled gasoline over a sprawling pine forest in coastal Maine.

The Cannabis Cup Central Valley was a great showing for the first legal pot party in California. Now that this hurdle is out of the way, we only expect the strains we witness to continue to reach more epic heights.

TELL US, what is your favorite strain? Did you attend the Cannabis Cup Central Valley?