This year brought me some challenges but also triumphs that I am super grateful for. One of my most validating and positive experiences of my year so far was joining the planning committee at The Mendo Cup, a small local cannabis competition in my former home of Mendocino County, and serving as a Judge for the competition alongside a handful of fellow connoisseurs and lovers of the plant.
Small farmers in the Emerald Triangle, the Northern California traditional cannabis growing region of Humboldt, Trinity and Mendocino Counties, have been struggling. First with CAMP raids under prohibition, and now that sloppy legalization of the industry has squeezed many of the legacy farmers out of the market they created, many farmers are simply unable to maintain their licenses. The Mendo Cup was created to help spotlight and support the farmers who truly made Mendocino what it is, by sharing all the profits leftover after throwing the event with all of the farmers who enter the competition.
I break down the way that Mendo Cup Judges assess and rank all the cannabis flower entries and come to a consensus on the Top 5 as well as awards for Best Breeder and 5 Honorable Mentions in my latest article for Beard Bros Media, A Peek Behind the Redwood Curtain: Inside the Judging Process at The Mendo Cup. Shout out to the Beard Bros for publishing the article and supporting the Mendo Cup as Media Partners. It’s an honor to not only feel validated as a cannabis judge, but to be able to share my story on such an esteemed platform.
The Mendo Cup takes place in May in Willits, and we’d love your support as a sponsor, attendee, media or retail partner, or if you’re a small Mendocino licensed farm, a competition entrant! Get a head’s up about being involved next year on their website. That’s also where you can see the full list of winners.
Read my Article on Beard Bros
