First-Ever MA Cannabis Cup Sparks Lines At Local Dispensaries

BROOKLINE, MA — The first-ever High Times Cannabis Cup Massachusetts, a people's choice competition that began on August 21, has been met with enthusiasm statewide, with local cannabis consumers lining up to buy one of the 2,000 available voting kits on August 21 and 22.

The High Times Cannabis Cup, which is the world's leading cannabis competition, aims to identify and award the best cannabis products in the state across 11 categories by dispersing judging kits to local consumers.

Judging kits are made up of products from 45 different brands and sold at 16 retailers, including NETA's Brookline and Northampton stores and Insa dispensaries in Springfield, Salem, and Easthampton.

Cannabis consumers slept overnight at Insa Salem on August 21 and others queued up at Insa Springfield as early as 4 a.m. on August 22. Insa flower judging kits sold out immediately, but other kits remain available for edibles and tinctures judging.

At NETA dispensaries, Community Relations Manager Mikayla Bell said there was "hustle and bustle" in the air on the first weekend of judging kit sales, with flowers and prerolls selling out in just a couple hours.

"For the first High Times Cannabis Cup here in Massachusetts, it was an air of excitement all around," she said.

Both NETA locations still have edible and concentrate kits available for purchase, but the company is urging people to purchase kits as soon as possible to give them enough time to judge the products.

"It's in the judges best interest to give themselves as much time as possible," said Bell. "We still encourage people to go slow."

MA Cannabis Cup judging began August 21 and runs through October 17. Winners will be announced on October 24.

For more information and updates on High Times Cannabis Cup Massachusetts, click here.