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Postcard from Cannabis Cup

In my mind, the Cannabis Cup never actually existed. It was a cliché, a staple phrase of high school stoner conversation, and it was held in Amsterdam, an equally mythical place. But this year, for the first time, the premier summit of marijuana users...

Still from an episode of High Maintanence. Nice pants kid.  In my mind, the Cannabis Cup never actually existed. It was a cliché, a staple phrase of high school stoner conversation, and it was held in Amsterdam, an equally mythical place. But this year, for the first time, the premier summit of marijuana users, purveyors, and entrepreneurs came to America, overcoming the odds to complete the arduous journey made by so many immigrants and cartoon mice. It so happens that I’m a sort of marijuana journalist at a time of great change for the plant, and so I found myself at this historic occasion. I’m primarily here to shoot a piece on butane hash oil with my homeboys from Motherboard, who are here shooting their own piece as well. Since I arrived here on Thursday night, my consumption of weed and weed-related products has hit a new record high.

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As soon as I got in, the Motherboard dudes made good on what they had described via text as “heroic amounts of weed”—a jar (from our friend on the inside) filled with an assortment of sativa entries to the competition—basically the best uppy weed in the world. It also happens that the guys we are staying with work at a local dispensary and come home each day with shopping bags filled with a variety of ounces. My first night, we smoked loads of everything. The next day was all work and not so much play, with shoots lined up all day, but the religious smoking continued throughout. Obviously, there’s an air of freedom here unseen anywhere else in the country, but more than that there’s an enthusiasm for weed, an earnest enjoyment that everyone loves sharing. It’s not lame or uncool to make bad puns or give someone props just for smoking a huge J or even ask to share. Right now, no one in Denver fears mouth germs. Everyone is sucking on the same tubes and nary a fuck is given. It’s just one of those things that no one, no matter how germ-conscious, really thinks about, like how you poke your nasty fingers on your iPhone and then touch it all on your face.

Shooting two separate pieces in the chaos of the event led to some desperate measures, one of which was arming me with a camera and sending me into the Cup’s recreation area on the day of days. I spend my 4/20 in absolute bliss, running around the grounds with a camera, filming people dabbing and dabbing myself after each shot. I wasn’t looking for footage of people smoking flowers, and it’s just as well cause it seemed like barely anyone was just blazing the old fashioned way. Sure, there were people smoking all over the place, but the dominant trend was BHO. Not a single stall was doling out hits of flowers, but there were dozens hammering out dabs, so many in fact that you barely had to wait on line to slam a massive hit of oil, and the masses were indulging heavily.

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After about three hours of dab after dab, I was completely spent. My goal was to get some footage of myself dabbing and getting smashed, a specific request from my producer, but at this point all I had was everyone else at the place taking monster hits. I had two reasons to keep dabbing: getting the shots, and fuck it it’s 4/20 and I’m at goddamn Cannabis Cup. I met up with our hosts and they helped film me dabbing over the next three hours. By the time the stalls started to close up shop, I was in space. Right then I got a call from the Motherboard crew, who told me that there was a shooting at the 4/20 rally and that it might be a good idea to head back to safehouse. I wrapped things up and headed back to the place. I was the first one back. I smoked a joint out of the sativas jar and slipped into unconsciousness on the couch. I woke to the rest of the crew returning home, whence I ate some more of the ganja chocolates I’ve been munching on periodically and we got cracking on a bag of Golden Goat. We’re all loving this shit, even the camera dudes love it who have been abstaining from smoking the pretty much the whole time. I continue to blaze gluttonously, ignoring any limits of inebriation, several of which I’m experiencing right now.

Lots more on the Cup, BHO, and all this coming soon.

Another thing that happened this 4/20, I made a cameo in High Maintenance, an incredible web series that I’ve been watching keenly since it kicked off last year. I’m siked to be a part of it. Guess what I’m doing in the scene…

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And yet another bit of news, VICE Canada is about to release their documentary on BC bud. Check it out next week!

And finally, check out some of what Motherboard has coming from the Cup.

Weed, weed, dabs, oil, dabs, dabs, weed, weed, weed. Please excuse a bit of a rushed post this week.

XOXO from Cannabis Cup.  @ImYourKid Previously:

Weediquette - I Like to Stay Home

Weediquette - Acid Reflections

Weediquette - Prohibition Smoke Down in Philly