Budtender Picks !
Cannabis ,
Conventions , and Community
Judging Products
by Sean Keast , contributing writer
One of the greatest things about a passion is the ability to come together with others and share that enthusiasm with new friends and old acquaintances . For a long time , longer than I have been alive , the cannabis community has not had places to come together like other communities . That certainly hasn ’ t stopped us from trying . In 1988 , Steven Hager of High Times Magazine created the Cannabis Cup , a longstanding yearly event in June that only since 2010 has started to make its way to the United States . From there ( with the rise of marijuana legalization ), cannabis events have become ever more elaborate and widespread , with each new “ green ” state creating expos , festivals , concerts , and more . Here in Missouri , it is no different , with many unique , patient-centered events cropping up across the state over the past two years .
One such event is the Mid-Mo Canna Expo , hosted in Columbia . It took place April 19 – 20 , and I had the fortunate opportunity to be a Hash Judge for the duration . Attending an event like this was truly an eye opener from the start , as ( at least to me ) the event seemed like most industry expos . Agents , caregivers , and industry professionals had booths lined up in rows and were educating , networking , and sharing an incredible level of passion for cannabis with the patients attending . Music , live speakers , and the hustle and bustle of a busy expo only added to the experience , and it couldn ’ t have been more welcomed .
There were many helpful exhibitors at the Mid-Mo Canna Expo . The Como Tent Grow booth offers an education and caregiver effort-based program in Columbia . Check out that incredible plant on the table .
On the judging side of things , we had our work cut out for us . My category , Hash ( Concentrates ), had 13 entrants ( a few of my samples on the left ), while edibles had 15 entries . The real kicker was flower , with 95 entries for the judges to test and review . I had an opportunity to sample the edible winner ; a beautiful “ Chem ” Brûlée cooked to perfection by Eezy Treezy .
Heya Wellness took the flower category , with the most entries getting top spots in ratings .
In my category , the entries ranged from caregiver-made Rosin to commercial Live Badder and even an Ice Bubble Hash entry . My personal favorite , a sublime Rosin named Dole Whip ( photo on left ) created by Andrew Hein ; it was the winner of my category .
Rosin simply cannot be beat , which showed in the rankings , with the first four being rosins . John Borland , the primary organizer of Mid-Mo Canna Expo , stated afterward , “ With judging , it got a little more extreme than we thought … there were a lot of last-minute entries , and next year if it keeps growing , we will have to cut it off earlier .” He went on to praise the help from the judges and his team , saying , “ Having a lot of judges this year helped a lot , and we want to involve more people to help organize it next year .”
Judging was an interesting experience during the expo , as on the second day , we set up a small judging booth where passersby could see us in action . Many were curious about what we were doing , asking about our judging process , methods , gear , etc . The judges , me included , took to the role of impromptu educators with gusto , and many patients left with smiles and laughs after visiting the booth .