Announcing the High Times Cannabis Cup SoCal: People’s Choice Edition 2023

Earlier this month we announced the launch of the High Times Cannabis Cup People’s Edition in Michigan, but now we’re cheering up the West Coast for the return of their own People’s Choice Awards! Welcome to the High Times Cannabis Cup SoCal: People’s Choice Edition 2023, a purely recreational competition celebrating some of the region’s best cannabis products.

The SoCal Cannabis Cup was first introduced in 2015, where it thrived as an in-person event between 2015 and 2019. In 2015, strains like Flower Bomb Kush, True OG, and Amnesia Haze were the cream of the crop, and categories like “Best Booth” and “Best Glass” were still commonplace. The pandemic may have brought in-person events to a halt, but People’s Choice has taken the nation by storm, with a People’s Choice contest running in both 2020 (with winners announced in 2021) and 2022 for SoCal. 2021 big favorites like Biscotti, Gelonade and Lemon Sponge Cake took first place, alongside a diverse selection of pre-rolls, edibles and more. Our 2022 SoCal: People’s Choice Edition was one of the biggest cups yet, with winners like Whoa Si Whoa from Top Shelf Cultivation, Pink Certz Flower from Sense, Studio 54 from Wizard Trees and Pearadise Flower from Team Elite Genetics – just a few of the amazing strains that convinced our judges.

Fast forward to this year’s High Times Cannabis Cup SoCal: People’s Choice Edition 2023, and we’re expecting another exciting product collection. With that in mind, here is the schedule for this year: Product submissions will be made between May 8th and 10th at the Moxie Lynwood facility. Then our official recording partner Moxie builds the judges’ kits and we ship the kits to all participating High Times and Have a Heart retailers. Richter Kits officially go on sale on May 20th! Judges have May 21st through July 10th to test their treats and submit their thoughts on product differentiators such as aesthetics, aroma/smell, taste/flavor, effect/efficacy and more.

According to Mark Kaz, Director of Competitions at High Times, 2021 was a record-breaking year in terms of attendance. “Twenty-one cups, 339 brands, 1,389 entries, all judged by approximately 15,000 judges who helped crown 249 award winners for best product in their state,” said Kaz. “Our industry is going through a severe recession, restrictive regulations and many other issues, but one thing is for sure, people want to find out who has the best weed and we are here to help.”

For companies wishing to submit products for this year’s competition, please note the following rules.

Entry categories:

1. Indica Flower (maximum 2 entries per company)
2. Sativa Flower (maximum 2 entries per company)
3. Hybrid flower (maximum of 2 entries per company)
4. Pre-Rolls (maximum of 2 entries per company)
5. Infused Pre-Rolls (limit 1 entry per company)
6. Solvent concentrates (maximum 2 entries per company)
7. Non-solvent concentrates (maximum 2 entries per company)
8. Vape Pens & Cartridges (maximum 2 entries per company)
9. Edibles: Gummies & Fruit Chews (max 3 entries per business)
10. Edibles: Chocolates & Non-Gummies (Max 3 entries per business)
11. Food: Beverages (maximum 2 entries per company)
12. Sublinguals, capsules, tinctures + topicals (maximum 3 entries per company)

Entry requirements:

• Flower: (228) 1 gram samples. We do not accept 3.5 gram entries.
• Pre-Rolls & Enriched Pre-Rolls: (228) Samples: Pre-Rolls will be limited to 2g each flower only; Infused pre-rolls are each limited to 3g flower equivalent or 1g concentrate equivalent.
• Concentrates & Vape Pens: (228) 0.5 gram samples. We do not accept 1 gram entries. Batteries required for carts.
• Edibles: (100) Samples containing 100 mg THC max.
• Beverages: must be no more than 16 fluid ounces, non-glass containers are preferred.
• Sublinguals, capsules, tinctures + topicals: (60) samples with 500 mg THC max

Regarding the entry prizes, participants should be aware of the entry fees, which depend on how many products they are submitting. While one entry is $250 and two entries are $100 per entry (both non-refundable), entries of three or more entries require a refundable deposit of $100 per entry, which is refunded if all entries are successfully submitted. Finally, if you wish to sponsor this year’s High Times Cannabis Cup SoCal: People’s Choice Edition 2023, all entry fees are waived. We also offer multiple levels of sponsorships including General, Bronze, Silver and Presenting Sponsorships.

That sums up the details of this year’s event, but visit our High Times Cannabis Cup website for full details.

Special thanks go to:

Moxie – Official Recording Partner

Have a Heart – Official Dealer Partner

High Times Dispensaries – Official Retail Partner