Dankr.ca – Your Toronto Connection
Article by Harrison Jordan, Growth Op
It was only a matter of time before growing turned into a competition.
Cannabis cups—events in which cultivators of cannabis products enter samples of their goods head-to-head for bragging rights, and sometimes prizes—have been popular in legal and semi-legal jurisdictions, including the U.S., the Netherlands and Spain. Now, the phenomenon has inevitably come to Canada.
Since the passing of recreational cannabis laws in October 2018, adults from coast to coast—with the exception of Quebec and Manitoba—have had the ability to grow up to four cannabis plants in their residence.
While it’s certainly not the first cannabis cup held in the country, the 4 Plants Cup—which closed its registration at the end of June—might be the first national contest held post-legalization that actually aims to stay compliant with the law.
How it works
Any Canadian adult permitted to grow is open to enter what competitors term a “friendly competition.” There are two groups, pro and amateur, with three categories in each: indoor, outdoor and medical patient (grown indoor or outdoor), as well as a fourth category for those who want to enter rosin, a concentrate produced from the dried flower using heat and force.
Each category has up to 28 participants, and each participant harvests 28 g. The cannabis is then sent to a screening committee, the members of which will evaluate a one-gram smoking sample for contaminants through microscopic visual inspection, and any with “noticeable issues” will be disqualified.
From there, the rest of the cannabis is uniquely coded and sent back blind to competitors, who are transformed into judges in their respective category and charged with choosing their favourite sample through an online portal.
Live in Quebec or Manitoba? Don’t even think about entering. The organizers have said they are not accepting participants from either province because of laws prohibiting home grow in those jurisdictions.
If this sounds fun, it might just be for you. But don’t be fooled; there’s plenty of hard work involved.
In addition to growing an uncontaminated crop out to harvest, with no banned pesticides or artificial plant growth regulators, competitors must complete a grow journal to show the organizers how they dried and cured the product. Those activities, in addition to harvesting and trimming, must be completed in sanitary conditions “with food safe practices and materials.” The end product must fit within an acceptable moisture content range as well.
Who is behind it?
The cup is being organized by a loose coalition of personal cultivation advocates. Among those who have indicated they are volunteering to help organize the event include cannabis marketer Dessy Pavlova and Mark Spears, president of the Board of Directors for the Ontario Independent Cannabis Association.
And while a friendly competition might typically entail the victor only winning bragging rights, the organizers have said there will also be prizes for those who win each category. Though not a full list, it was later announced on Twitter that nutrient company Remo Brands had donated a number of “Supercharged” kits to the competition.
