Claims Awards in Three Categories
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The EVOLUTION Magazine Newsroom
Elevate Missouri Scores Big
at Cannabis Cup Awards
Claims Awards in Three Categories
The 2023 Missouri Growers Cup , held September 23 and presented by Smokey River Entertainment District , may have experienced a washout for most of the entertainment festivities due to inclement weather . However , the competitions were held , and the results for Elevate Missouri were filled with rewards in three categories . The Kansas City-based cultivator scored first place finishes in two big categories — indoor-grown flower : Gary Poppins ; prerolls : Grapefruit Durban pins – half-gram cones ( sold by Elevate in 10-packs totaling five grams ); and third place in two more categories — edibles : Kosmik Black Hole ; carts : Citradelic Sunset liquid diamonds .
We had a few questions for the leaders of Elevate Missouri about the awards . First , we congratulate Elevate , their entire team , and everyone else who received awards at the event for their hard work !
The EVOLUTION Magazine ( EVO ): What was your initial reaction upon hearing the news of how well Elevate Missouri placed in the three categories at the 2023 Missouri Growers Cup ? are to be in a growing industry where we enjoy doing what we do and how lucky I am to have such a kickass team to do it alongside .”
Ian Peak ( IP ), Director of Operations : “ I was thrilled ; I was pretty fired up about it , honestly . I genuinely thought the entire time leading up , we would have a good shot at placing , though . We have a great facility here in KC , filled with great genetics and , most of all , great employees .
Scoob Litz ( SL ), Harvest Manager : “ I was totally shocked . I wasn ’ t surprised based on our quality and products , but just that we won so many awards when there were so many great entries across the state . But I ’ m really proud of our company for representing so well .”
EVO : What do the placements say about the hard work you and the rest of the Elevate Missouri crew are putting in daily ?
IP : The team ’ s dedication and devotion is the best I have seen in all my years of experience . From the cultivation , to harvest , production , the lab , to shipping product out the door , we have an amazing team of very talented individuals here .
SL : It says a lot about everybody ’ s hard work in the building and says a lot about the hard work our harvest team puts in as well . I am very proud of them .
OM : The placements show us that hard work pays off , and if we don ’ t keep pushing for our goals , then we can easily fall behind . There were lots of great products submitted for the competition , and I am thankful that we stood out enough to achieve the results we did .
� The Elevate Grow Team
Orion McComas ( OM ), Head of Grow : “ I was ecstatic when finding out about the awards . Everyone here at Elevate is dedicated to producing high-quality products , regardless of what it takes . We come in every day to not just get the job done but to get the job done to the best of our ability and are always striving to make a better product . It means a lot to us that the consumers of our products enjoy the end result , from flowers to concentrates and everything in between . The recognition from this competition is great , but it will not change our mentality of working hard to make better products .”
Gwen Devonshire ( GD ), Lab Director : “ I first found out about the flower and was floored . The others trickled in after that , and I immediately called / texted the team . I often hear about the potency , consistency , and overall high that keeps people coming back to Elevate for more . While those conversations make me feel proud of what we do , placing in multiple categories among so many other amazing companies was definitely reassuring . It makes me realize how fortunate we
GD : It is the coolest reminder that what we do everyday matters and that although it may take time , people will notice . We have gone through many changes and big improvements over the last few years , but a few things have remained consistent throughout . The Elevate team as a whole comes to work excited to be there . We are all passionate and relentless in ensuring that we bring premium , consistent , clean products to Missouri . We have many of the same strains from the beginning that I still hear people rave about . It ’ s exciting to know that people notice our improvements and appreciate our innovation .
EVO : Why were these specific products selected for competition ?
IP : It was a tough decision , really . We feel that all the cultivars we grow , and all the products we manufacture are of the highest quality . We just kind of landed on these due to the all-around , well-balanced appeal they have to consumers .
OM : Gary Poppins is the complete package for a great strain . It has a remarkable aroma and great flavor all the way through , combined with the frost and great bud structure , checking all the boxes when we were pheno-hunting for new strains . Grapefruit Durban is another complete package strain when it comes to the flower . And when we
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