Cannabis Business Awards Honor Colorado's Marijuana Industry

The COVID-19 pandemic didn't end the eight-year run of the Cannabis Business Awards, an annual awards ceremony recognizing marijuana's top brands, leaders and industry players.

By Thomas Mitchell

December 12, 2020

Image: The Cannabis Business Awards have been held annually since 2012.

The Cannabis Business Awards have been held annually since 2012. Courtesy of the Cannabis Business Awards

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The COVID-19 pandemic didn't stop the Cannabis Business Awards, an annual ceremony recognizing marijuana's top brands, leaders and industry players.

The CBAs were founded in Colorado eight years ago, and have since branched out to several other states with legal pot industries. But Colorado's awards show is still held every winter, with or without a pandemic. This year's edition, hosted virtually, recognized some familiar winners and new names alike for their efforts toward the plant.

Here are the 2020 winners:

Hope Award
American Medical Refugees (AMR)

Business Executive of the Year
Sean McAllister (Founding attorney at McAllister Garfield, P.C.)

Industry Organization of the Year
National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws

Leading Brand of the Year
Wolfpac Cannabis dispensary

Advocate of the Year
Alexis Bortell (Child medical marijuana advocate)

Political Industry Representative of the Year
Colorado Governor Jared Polis

Industry Leader of the Year
Vicente Sederberg LLP law offices

Business of the Year
Viola Brands

Best Dispensary
Diego Pellicer

Best Flower
Gary Payton (Bred by Cookies; grown by Veritas Fine Cannabis)

Best Edible
Dialed In...Gummies

Best Extract
Persy Sauce rosin (710 Labs)

Best Hemp Company/Product
Envirotextiles

Best CBD Company/Product
Pure Spectrum

Cultivation Achievement Award
Dark Horse Genetics and Rare Dankness (Tie)

Lifetime Achievement Award
Charlotte Figi (Deceased medical marijuana patient; inspiration behind the name of Charlotte's Web strain)

MVP Awards:

Nick Jack
Neil Demers
Jason Margolies
Dani Fontaine
Brent McDonald
Bob Eschino
Jim Biviano
Max Cohen
Wanda James
Wumaniti

Thomas Mitchell has been the news editor of Westword since February 2024. He's been with the publication since 2017 and was formerly its cannabis editor. He’s earned numerous awards and accolades for his work, including placing second for the Marijuana Enterprise Reporting Award from the Colorado Society of Professional Journalists in 2018; being named a Top Cannabis Journalist by Leafbuyer in 2020; and placing first for the College Sports Writing Award from the Arizona Press Club in 2014. His prior work experience includes Arizona Republic, Inman News and Fox Sports.

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