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The sun was shining brightly over Oakland this past August, as Cannabis loving folks from near and far came together to celebrate The Emerald Cup’s 20th Anniversary. And while the number of Cannabis-focused events seems to grow every year, there is truly nothing like The Emerald Cup. 

It seems to me that a lot of big Cannabis events tend to focus on the industry itself or the networking side of things. And, to be quite honest, they tend to be ran and/or attended by a lot of people who don’t even consume Cannabis. 

And while using Cannabis isn’t a necessity when it comes to working in the Cannabis Industry, I can’t lie, it does irk me a little bit when I see “powerful” industry folks who don’t truly understand what this plant is about… Because they don’t have a personal relationship with it.

That is NOT the case with The Emerald Cup.

The Emerald Cup always has a more important focus: The Cannabis Plant. A whole weekend celebrating the plant, and the incredible community of people who love, grow, and actually USE, Cannabis.

From Area 101 to Oakland

If you’ve met Emerald Cup Founder Tim Blake, then you already know… He is truly one of a kind. A self-described “old outlaw”, and an absolute treasure to befriend, Tim is a living legend in the Cannabis community. A few months ago, I had the privilege of sitting with Tim and talking all about his property in the Emerald Triangle, affectionately dubbed “Area 101”. (Read that blog to find out why!)

From Tim’s love of both the “County Fair” type event and cannabis, the Emerald Cup was born. It started out as an underground event… A friendly “fair-themed” competition between farmers in the Emerald Triangle region of Northern California. But it has grown into so much more. Winning an award at the Emerald Cup earns you some MAJOR bragging rights. They have a team of esteemed judges, truly capable of picking the best of the best. The Cup is (usually) a 2-day celebration of the plant and the community of people that grow and love her.

In past years the event has been thrown in a few different places, but typically has been held at the Santa Rosa Fairgrounds. This year, The Emerald Cup went to a town it had never been to before… But one that has a deep rooted connection with Cannabis culture: Oakland, California. 

While the decision to hold the 20th Emerald Cup in Oakland did not come without criticism, the move seemed to go relatively smoothly. (Though it didn’t help that half the parking garages in the area seemed to be closed… No fault to the Emerald Cup team there though…) Full disclosure, I drove around for about 45 minutes looking for parking the first day. I eventually found a $15 Valet within walking distance, and just went straight there for parking the 2nd day. Many people even braved simply parking on the street. Which, thanks to the infamous Bay-area “bipping” problem, tends to be somewhat risky. But from what I heard, there were no incidents at all! 

Every big city in the Bay Area has its issues… But they also have a lot of charm! The Bay is a true “melting pot” of different cultures, with some truly amazing human beings. We sat in front of the beautiful and historic Henry J. Kaiser Center of the Arts building with groups of loved ones, smoking and taking in the beautiful view of Lake Merritt. It was both peaceful and lively. Simultaneously chill and full of energy… The atmosphere made for a wonderful weekend.

Tim Blake stated in an instagram post: 

“There were lots of concerns over safety and the challenges of liberal cities like Oakland that are falling apart. We decided it was the right move to unite our farmers and brands with the rich cannabis and cultural history of Oakland. Our motto this year was “Our legacy is your legacy”. For all the flowers and products that came out of the Emerald Triangle and around the state over the past several decades, there were people in the Bay Area, the rest of the cities in the state, and around the country that moved the product. 

Thanks to the city of Oakland for opening their arms to us (Greg Minor and the police officer in charge rocked). We can’t thank Eddy, the owner of the Henry J. Kaiser, and Nate Cornejo, the manager of the Kaiser, enough for stepping up and doing so much of the heavy lifting.”

The Blunt Brunch + The Emerald Cup

If you’ve read my blog before, you know that I am ALL about women in Cannabis. Connecting with them, highlighting their products, lifting each other up… I love it all. The ladies in this industry are truly special. When I get the chance to attend an event centered around women in Cannabis, I always jump at it. So when my Sister/Boss, PayRio Founder Aubrey Amatelli, asked if I wanted to attend the Blunt Brunch with her, I eagerly said “YES!”

Set at the beautiful Lake Chalet Seafood Bar & Grill, the Blunt Brunch had amazing energy as soon as you walked in the door. Co-Founder Adelia Carrillo was so warm and welcoming, and you could tell she put a lot of love into this special brunch. We all fawned over the amazing merch on sale by Smoke Show Co, and the awesome goodie bags Adelia put together for us. 

It was an afternoon of bonding and empowerment, and a wonderful way to kick-off the Emerald Cup weekend. 

Two Days of Friends and Fire

The Kaiser Center was full of good friends, yummy food, and a ton of fire Cannabis. As a Media Partner for The Emerald Cup this year, I was very excited to get a “behind the scenes” look at the Awards Show. My friend KC Santana, Founder and Host of the Chiefah Ent. Podcast, was running Media for the event this year, and was so helpful when it came to me navigating my way through the weekend. Shout out to her because she allowed me to be her shadow on day 2, and she is genuinely one of my favorite people in the Cannabis industry.

KC and I also attended a Coffee and Donuts party, hosted by the men who run the Original Dunkz brand. We were handed some delicious rosin to roll up into a “donut”, and some of the best coffee I’ve ever had, Contraband Coffee. The combo of that amazing coffee, the people, and the Cannabis all combined to make a truly perfect start to day 2 of the fun filled Emerald Cup weekend.

Walking through the crowd at The Cup always feels like a family reunion… So many familiar faces, passing joints, taking dabs, and connecting over the losses and triumphs we all face in the industry. One of my favorite elements of this event is always the Marketplace. I love being able to connect directly with the farmer or manufacturer of the products I enjoy every day. Plus, there is a smorgasbord of different brands and products, so you are sure to find something you haven’t tried before… which is always fun!

 And the Awards Goes To…

The competition this year was STIFF. There were so many brands with a plethora of lovingly grown or created products. I can only imagine the difficult time this year’s Judges had picking the best of the best. Though Mama-duties prevented me from seeing the end of the show (I had to leave and pick up my son towards the end…) I did get to attend the large majority of the awards ceremony. The awards ceremony was hosted by the hilarious Ngaio, a true OG and always entertaining to watch… I spent the majority of the time giggling at his jokes, and snapping pics of the winners. 

Some of the big winners this year included Rebel Grown, Farmer and the Felon, Decibel Farms, Space Gems, Ay Papi, and ABX; All of which took home 1st place trophies in their respective categories. One farm you heard repeatedly if you were at the show? Huckleberry Hills Farms and their Whitethorn Rose strain. They were a part of multiple 1st place wins and a few other “place” awards as well, giving them a total of 8 wins all together! Very impressive, and not surprising if you’ve smoked their flower before.

For a full list of the winners, check out The Emerald Cup website. 

To the Next 20 Years!

If you love the Cannabis plant and the community who actually grow/use it, then you have to attend at least 1 Emerald Cup in your lifetime. Whether you live in California, a different state, or a different country entirely, you will not regret making the trip to CA to participate. I’ve said it before, and I plan on saying it the rest of my life: The Emerald Cup is my favorite Cannabis event. Hands down. And for me, it is a MUST to attend every single year. 

I can’t wait to see what the next 20 years will bring for The Emerald Cup!