High times in Michigan? You be the judge

It’s springtime in the city, which means 420 is just around the corner, and folks from all over Lansing are prepping for the biggest weed holiday of the year. High Times, a monthly magazine and cannabis brand that has advocated for the legalization of cannabis and other counterculture ideas since its founding in 1974, will celebrate the holiday as it rolls out Michigan’s 4th annual High Times Cannabis Cup. 

The High Times Cannabis Cup is the world’s leading cannabis competition, festival and trade show, celebrating all things weed through instructional seminars, expositions, celebrity appearances, concerts, product showcases and more. Hosted in states that have legalized medical and recreational marijuana, the Cannabis Cup stands as the foremost gathering place for the cannabis community.

The competition moved from assigned expert judges to crowd-sourced rankings during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, High Times is expecting to have the largest pool of judges in the history of the competition, and stoners throughout Michigan will have the chance to sample some of the best weed in the state in the newly named High Times Cannabis Cup Michigan: People’s Choice Edition.

Judging kits will be available for purchase on April 15 at exclusive dispensaries throughout the state, with more than 200 kits available for each of the recreational (referred to as Adult Use) and medical categories. The price of each kit will depend on the category. For example, in 2021, the Solvent Concentrates kit included 30 ½-gram samples (a retail value of about $600) and was available for $350. Meanwhile, the Edibles: Non-Gummies kit included 17 100-milligram samples (a retail value of about $160) for $119. If you’re interested in grabbing your own judging kit, a full list of participating dispensaries can be found on cannabiscup.com. Lansing locals will be excited to hear that Pure Options Frandor is included on the list. 

Folks who purchase a judging kit can submit their reviews through the judging portal on the Cannabis Cup website until June 25. The winners will be announced July 9. Last year’s winners included Society C’s Spritzer (Adult Use Indica Flower), LocalGrove’s Runtz (Medical Hybrid Flower), Element x Pro Gro’s Lunar Lemon live resin joint (Adult Use Infused Pre-Rolls), Glorious Cannabis Co. x Superior Solventless’ PebbleZ live rosin (Adult Use Non-Solvent Concentrates) and Afternoon Delite’s Blue Lemonade gummies (Adult Use Edibles: Gummies), just to name a few. 

The official list of contestants and products hasn’t been announced yet, but the event sponsors have been posted. This year, the contest will be presented by House of Dank and sponsored by brands such as J’s Terp House Cannabis, Dutch Girl Donuts, Banned Cannabis Edible Co., Canna Boys, Petro710, True North Collective and True North Confections, Five Star Extracts, Dutch Touch Genetics, Wellbudds, Choice Laboratories, Uplyfted Cannabis Co., Heavyweight Heads and Franklin Fields.

Category is: Ganja Ball 

The world is pretty scary right now for transgender and nonbinary people. It’s important that these folks, as well as other members of the LGBTQ+ community, have a safe space to celebrate 420. This year, look no further than The Fledge, which will host a Ganja Ball on April 20 that’s expected to be full of music, love and light.

Hosted by Auroara Manifesto, the event will feature drag artists, burlesque, dancing, an art show and more. The star-studded lineup includes Tiffany Tite, Cocoa Caliente, DeeDee Chaunte, Phoenix Aftermath, Sapphire Shade, Aaliyah Paradisco and DJ Ace DeVille. In the spirit of queer culture, the Ganja Ball will also feature an old-school ballroom segment where attendees can compete in different runway categories for a chance to win cash prizes. Categories include Green Capital Carpet (best green outfit), Clowning Around (fun and creative outfits) and Leather & Lace.

Those interested in attending the Ganja Ball can snag a ticket on Eventbrite for $10.