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The Best of Cannabis in 2016
Cannabis Now explores the best and brightest offerings of the last year.
Best Growers – The Dookie Brothers
Photo Gracie Malley for Cannabis Now
It is impossible to not give the Dookie Brothers the nod this year. Taking home the Golden Tarp or Emerald Cup are once in a lifetime achievements for most, doing it the same year is absolutely absurd.
Best Strain – Zkittlez
Photo TC
After a monster 2015 Zkittlez reigned supreme in NorCal on the indoor circuit, in 2016 it was the Dookie Brothers weapon of choice for their accolades. So acclaimed this year, it went unopposed at the Secret Cup when the original at 3rd Gen Fam and Terp Hogz entered it into the ultra-competitive Northern California Secret Cup in Humboldt this year. We’re obviously expecting continued good things in 2017 for Zkittlez.
Best Celeb – Whoopi Goldberg
Photo Timothy White
Whoopi’s arrival to the cannabis industry was the story in itself. Once the dust settled on the wave of celebrity entrants into the game this year, she was proven to have the best products of the lot by a mile. Her and partner Maya placed at this years Emerald Cup, which Maya won last year along with every other award you can think of.
Best Athlete – Nate Diaz
Photo courtesy UFC
Half of the greatest sporting family in cannabis, Nate Diaz shocked the world this year by choking out MMA Superstar and two division UFC Champion Conor McGregor in spectacular bloody fashion after a rough round one. While he would come up short in their rematch, he helped sell more Pay Per Views than Mayweather did in his swan song and became the face of CBD use in combat sports. Later it would be revealed by his brother Nick that famous vape pen from the post-fight press conference actually had THC in it.
Best Day – Election Day
Photo Gracie Malley for Cannabis Now
Can’t beat Election Day this year. We don’t think any day ever can beat election day this year. Supporters saw pro-cannabis efforts go on to sweeping victories in some places, while they had sweatier palms in others, we’re looking at you Maine. Nevertheless, in the end cannabis won big and millions of Americans gained access for both medical and recreational purposes.
Best Glass Collab – Mothership x Team Japan
Courtesy Mothership Glass
Mothership are now the most mainstream glass company ever with more TV time in the past 16 months than most of their peers will ever see combined. Their collaboration with members of Team Japan on various pieces this year were a spectacle to behold at Team Japan’s Vancouver show this past fall. Our personal favorite was the Rainbow SLOP Cup with honey bucket.
Best Photographer – Erik Christiansen of Nugshots
We’ll let the pictures speak for themselves!
Best Activist – Lauren Vazquez
Photo by Gracie Malley for Cannabis Now
Few faces were seen more all over California this year than that of Adult Use of Marijuana Act Outreach Director Lauren Vazquez. The long time industry attorney took time away from her personal practice while she spent much of the year helping sway the hearts and minds that got Proposition 64 the win on election night.
Best Hashmaker – Brandon 3rd Gen
Courtesy @Cookies_SF
Sometimes in the Cannabis Now office we worry for Brandon’s safety, if that trophy shelf breaks while he’s standing near it he could be in danger. The concentrate killer that won last year’s National Secret Cup Champion honors and took nine of the top 10 rosins at The Emerald Cup found a way to one up himself by actually placing in all 10 spots this year for rosin.
Best Elected Official – Representative Dana Rohrabacher
Courtesy Rep. Dana Rohrabacher
After a decade of championing the issue on the right side of the aisle, 2015 saw representatives Dana Rohrabacher and Sam Farr get congress to stop Department of Justice interference with state compliant medical cannabis providers. This year Rohrabacher teamed up with California Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom to push Prop 64 to victory at the poles. While this category is obviously a difficult one to choose in 2016, we believe Rohrabacher’s continued efforts over the years and success stories put him over the top of many folks worthy to be in the discussion.
Best TV – Traveling the Stars: Action Bronson and Friends Watch ‘Ancient Aliens’
Photo acityinthemidwest
If not the amazing group dynamic of Action, Alchemist, Big Body Bez, and Knxwledge. If not the fantastic content in regards to the way our civilization has interacted with ancient space travelers. Then stay for the greatest collection of dabs, glass, and blunts ever to hit cable television, just ask Melissa Etheridge.
Best Event – The Emerald Cup
Photo Gracie Malley for Cannabis Now
The Emerald Cup continues to be the best event in cannabis. It’s cultural impact on the community of Northern California Growers producing the world’s finest outdoor cannabis is at an all time high, as is the quality of the event itself. This year saw 30,000 people descend on Santa Rosa, California. This all while being the event most closely associated with the roots of the industry.
Best New Tech – Tradiv
Courtesy Tradiv
Tradiv is a distribution platform that connects growers, manufacturers, and dispensaries. While the world of the cannabis regulations will have many a middle man, right now Tradiv gives anyone with an internet connection, dope cannabis, and the right paperwork a fantastic means to show off their wares without leaving the garden.
Best Apparel – Upper Playground
Courtesy Upper Playground
Upper Playground continues to pump out the hits year after year. While not the cannabis-centric type of clothing company some may have expected, year after year they put out a few great options for the heads.
Best New Birthday Theme – Sesh
Photo Dabbs Dean
The best new birthday theme of 2016 was the dab session theme. Never in history has it been more popular to gather your closest friends and love ones to smoke a bunch of hash in celebration of your most recent trip around the sun.
TELL US, who would you nominate for this list?
