The 2016 Emerald Cup

I can't believe 2016 was the first year I made the effort to attend The Emerald Cup, 'The Definitive Cup for the Fall Harvest', but I'm glad I finally went. 'It's reputation firmly solidified as the largest, most respected, organic, outdoor, medical competition in the world.' And it certainly did not disappoint. Seeing friends and making connections at events is always fun, but learning about new products for patients or innovations in cultivation are also huge upsides to attending events. The event was huge and it was hard to photograph it all, but here's a glimpse into the event through my eyes. Hope you enjoy!

---

I owe many thanks to the Green Diamond
Coco family for letting me attend this event with them. They're so much fun.

In my short time working with Green Diamond, I have learned so much about coco fiber and what sets them apart from other coco producers. Coco fiber is the byproduct of harvesting coconuts for their meat and water, the husk and shell are processed and then ground into different consistencies to be used as coco fiber. Most coconut products come from overseas, like India or the Philippines, where the demand for coconut is one of the leading causes of deforestation. Green Diamond's coco comes from a family owned coconut plant in the mountains of Mexico, where attention to detail is more prevalent. Rather than treating the coco with high heats and preservatives like most, this coco is washed naturally with rain water, dried and cured under the sun. This keeps the coco rich in micronutrients and free of pathogens. 

It's hard to argue the lack of diversity in this industry, especially when you attend an expo. So that's why I was happy to spend so much of my time with a company who's 99% of color. It's nice to be where you want to be without feeling 'different.' We made so many cute Christmas ornaments, and Marjor Leauge Stoner stopped by to show us his work. 

---

Cannabis Now was set up right next to us and it made me so happy! I love that crew and everything they do for the community. Ellen and the team worked the booth like rockstars, and Greg even brought his alarm clock radio e-nail, it made me so happy because mine is so similar!

---

The first thing I did after getting the booth set up was head to the 215 area. The event hadn't actually opened yet, so it wasn't too crowded yet. We stopped by the Harborside booth to say high to some friends, and that's when Adrina annihilated me with this globber of GoldDrop papaya. I'd never seen a 'dab bar' e-nail set up, or maybe I just didn't notice, but the idea is so practical! This one is made by MiniNail.

Luckily I wasn't too high to make my way to the Spire Ridge Farms booth, I had never seen them before and was so excited about it! They are based out of Humbolt and have yet to make it to the Bay Area market, but I hope they do soon. I ended up picking up a gram of U.F.O.G shatter because it looked so good and was priced so well, I'm glad it ended up tasting good too. The art on their shirts was so awesome too, I wish I would have gotten one too!

Swerve Confections was handing out dabs outside of the Emerald Pharms booth. I've known the folks behind Swerve for a while, they are such great people with a love for cannabis and providing patients with delicious cold water hash and edbiles infused with it. They even hand out informational cards that teach patients how to properly press out their hash into dabs! I enjoyed some yummy Gorilla Glue hash and after that, I had to head back to the booth for a while.

---

As soon as I was ready to face the world again, we went and vistied The Hepburns booth. They were smart and brought a heater and were kind enough to let us use their rig and hang out in the warmth. There was a 'no torch' policy this year, so people had e-nails set up! And this Mothership egg was definitley a treat to dab on! We dabbed on some delicious Hashbury Extracts cold water hash.

The Hepburns family has always been so warm and generous, it felt so nice to be welcomed in their space in such a crowded setting. Allie even gifted us a Hepburns Delux filled with Tangie flowers and Sour Diesel hash, complete with a JollyGreenGlass glass tip!

---

The medicated area was huge and filled with options for cannabis users from all walks of life. As the face of this industry and who the cannabis user is continue to change, the products we see on the market must follow. Cannabis exists in this limbo between medical and recreational. You can attend a cannabis expo and see products like The Legion of Bloom's Terp Champagne alongside products like Treat Well tinctures. Both are a cannabis product that is consumed by drinking it, but each is marketed to a very different crowd. I, personally, have a hard time changing my perspective on cannabis as anything but a wellness product. I hate seeing it taken of out of that context, but as this industry changes my perspectives will have to change too. 

Some other goodies that caught my eye were Giggle Theaputics and their Giggle Butter, which came in two flavors: PB&J and Cheese! By the time we made it to their booth I was so high, I couldn't even stomach a sample. I hope to try the products myself one day, I love cheese and I can't imagine how I would get eating medicated cheese spread! Another interesting edible I came across was Fruit Slabs. I've seen medicated fruit leather before but I loved the healthiness of this one. Made with all organic fruit and vegan ingredients, this is definitley a fruit snack I could get behind.

I eneded my time in the 215 area by dabbing some Emerald Cup Concentrates and Absolute Extracts. Jess ended up walking away with a free gram of rosin because they didn't know what kind it was! 

---

It wouldn't be a stoner event without some heady glass, and The Mighty Quinn came through with a huge selection to oogle over. Bangers and pendants, bongs and rigs, they had it all!  

Quave Club Bangers, Diamond Caps, Third Eye Pinecones and more! Plenty of accessories for smoking and wearing were available for purchase, the options were overwhelming! I first saw Four Winds Flameworks at AGE in Vegas a few years ago, was happy to come across some more of their work in person! 

Ryan Fitt and Gabe Halliday had a bunch of their signature Kuzel's on display, and were even working the booth and answering questions! The detail and work put into these little things is so impressive, and the images they chose to decorate the pieces with are perfect for this kind of crowd.

And who could walk past these EBOX pieces and not stop for a photo? What gems!

BlueGrass & Don Rob had a booth set up with tons of collaboration pieces I could only dream of owning. Here are some with Jared Delong, NateyLove, Blitzkriega, Sakibomb and more!

Could you imagine owning one of these?! I couldn't handle it. It was also such a treat to see Hummingbird Lane Tinctures & Topicals Jared Delong pendant made for last years cup winners, she had two!

The last photos I took at the cup were these of some Los1Glass pieces at the Refined Hydrocarbon Solutions booth. I was exhausted by the end of it all, but looking back on it now I'm really realzing the tremendous lengths some of us will go to be together. This community and this culture, it's so much more than simply getting high. It's about acceptance and generosity and compassion and love. There's bad apples in every bunch, and snakes hiding in every crack, but this community is resilient and I truly believe that if we work together and support the people we want to see succeed, the people who have been with us this whole time, we will win this fight. I hope you're with me.