Alaska plays host to High Times Cannabis Cup with unique, more ‘mom-and-pop’ industry – Alaska Public Media

A battle of the buds will get underway Saturday in Alaska, as Excessive Occasions journal’s Hashish Cup competitors returns to the state.

Excessive Occasions payments itself as “probably the most globally acknowledged model in hashish,” after beginning its counterculture journal almost 50 years in the past, and says its Hashish Cup is a continuation of the competitions held in Amsterdam beginning within the Nineteen Eighties.

Now, although, it’s attainable to carry the competitions legally in the USA — a few of them, anyway.

Excessive Occasions Director of Occasions and Competitions Mark Kazinec says Alaska, because the second state to legalize leisure use of marijuana in 2015, with its now-robust hashish business, is a superb place for a contest.

And as an outdoor observer, Kazinec says there are some distinctive and fascinating issues in regards to the hashish business right here.

Hear right here:

[Sign up for Alaska Public Media’s daily newsletter to get our top stories delivered to your inbox.]

The next transcript has been frivolously edited for readability.

Mark Kazinec: Yeah, I feel Alaska has a tremendous market. It’s nonetheless creating, which is nice, as a result of the MSOs, the multi-state operators, the massive, , Walmarts of the hashish business, haven’t attacked Alaska but. And it’s not all the time a nasty factor, but it surely’s unhealthy for the smaller growers, the place they’ve their enterprise, but when anyone else greater is coming in, they usually’re in a position to promote their hashish to dispensaries at a less expensive worth, these dispensaries will possible take them up on it, as a result of their margins shall be higher. So we haven’t seen that in Alaska but. So it’s nonetheless an superior group of simply passionate, homegrown individuals, small operations, mom-and-pop outlets or no matter else, the place they care about what’s happening. They’re maintaining their operations small. It’s craft hashish. We expect that is only a excellent place to be, as a result of there’s nonetheless numerous licenses, however they really care about it, they usually’re producing their very own product as a substitute of simply licensing it out to anyone else, or having some large manufacturing operation the place they will’t even do as a lot high quality management as anyone with a smaller operation may do.

Casey Grove: You talked about earlier, a few of these massive manufacturers exterior the state haven’t gotten right here but. So I’ve to ask, I imply, do you do you see that occuring right here?

MK: In most states, you’ll see that. I feel each massive firm, MSO, or multi-state operator, needs to attempt to develop their operations into as many states as attainable. , it’s simply, it’s for financial causes, and simply branding causes. However after working with a number of the attorneys right here in Alaska, I feel that there’s some good language written into the Alaska laws about hashish that doesn’t settle for exterior cash. In order that is perhaps protected, no less than for now, I don’t know if these laws will change, however I feel Alaska proper now is protected against exterior investments, exterior funding. So if any of those massive operators need to come out, they obtained to construct a employees, have them dwell in Alaska for some time after which get a license after which be capable of function. So it’s a bit of bit harder right here, which I feel is is fairly cool for Alaska to do.

CG: So how does this competitors work? You talked about a bit of bit already in regards to the equipment that people get. And it appears like there are totally different judges or units of judges possibly for various classes, proper?

MK: Yep.

CG: What do they take a look at? I imply, how, like, how nerdy does this get? I imply, no offense, however like, how carefully are they analyzing the pot? And what do they do, past, , smoking it?

MK: Yeah, so we wish individuals to be extraordinarily nerdy or simply very, very thorough. So the merchandise are organized amongst 9 classes. So we’ve got sativa flower, hybrid flower, indica flower, we’ve got vape pens as a class, concentrates as a class, then we’ve got pre-rolls as a class and infused pre-rolls as a class, which is flower plus concentrates rolled up into, , a joint. After which lastly, we’ve got two edibles classes, one for gummies and one for non-gummies, which is often comprised of candies, cookies, baked items, even capsules, generally, together with right here in Alaska. So 9 classes to select from and to evaluate from. In order that they go to the dispensary, they’re shopping for that decide equipment they usually’re judging that class. It’s going to ask them how they rank aesthetic, so how issues look, one via 10, with one being least favorable, 10 being most favorable. (They’re) additionally judging aroma, judging style, results, burnability, totally different standards for various classes, with feedback in every of these sections. After which one final last part for only a full expertise. , inform us about your journey. And it’s all goes again to the distributors on an nameless vogue.

CG: Fascinating. To be clear, you’re not able to say that Alaska has the very best hashish of any state. , we predict we’re higher than all people else.

MK: Oh, yeah. I suppose we’ll see. I imply, it’s exhausting as a result of it’s not federally legalized. So you may’t evaluate Alaska hashish in a authorized and compliant setting to California hashish. You possibly can’t have a decide take a look at each in a single. Yeah, we’ll see. We’ll see what occurs from this competitors. After which as the federal government, , doubtlessly federally legalizes it, which I feel has numerous numerous cons to it, numerous professionals to it as properly. After which possibly we are able to attempt to do some interstate competitions the place we are able to herald a number of states into one location, carry that product collectively and make a judging pattern equipment from that.