The most recent Cup, in May, was a big success, with prize winners including, well, us; Westword was awarded a "press vape" for our coverage of the medical marijuana issue. And Tipton hopes to build on this momentum with a slew of fresh features for the next edition, taking place from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Sunday, November 21, at the Oriental Theatre.
"We're going to have a rolling competition in filtered, unfiltered and creative categories," with the last division leaving open the possibility of super-sizing: "It could be a two-foot joint, because we'll have rolling papers that are measured by the yard," he says." In addition, "we'll have a liquids and tinctures contest, and also a contest for hard candy and baked goods that will be judged on efficacy, taste, presentation and overall creativity. And we'll also have a hash and oil contest."Also new is a traveling trophy -- "like the Stanley Cup," Tipton points out -- for the winner of the People's Choice award. Appropriately, the bauble in question will be a giant bong created specifically for the event by master glass-works craftsman Wes Richards of Feng Shwa Glass. It's not completed yet, so the actual presentation will probably take place at Kush Convention II, scheduled for December 17. But Tipton promises that it'll be worth the wait. "It's over five-feet tall and Colorado themed," he reveals.
The Cup isn't open to the public; only legal patients and caregivers can attend. Nonetheless, the level of interest in participating is unprecedented in the history of the event. "Caregivers and wellness centers across the state really want to be part of a contest that proves who's rising to the top in these areas of therapy," Tipton says, predicting that more than seventy strains will be up for judging.
Already deemed wanting is the original flier for the Cup, on view below, which features a photo by Penthouse photographer Steve Sarich used to promote a cannabis event in Washington state. According to Tipton, a number of people in the community criticized the image for trivializing the seriousness of medical marijuana, among other things. So Tipton created an alternative flier featuring a less objectionable mountain backdrop.
See both fliers below, and click here for entry and vendor information about the Cup:
More from our Marijuana archives: "Medical marijuana patient with stage 4 cancer on health dept. rejection of his MMJ license."
