By Max Sargent

Cannabis cups are a chance for the cannabis world to bring attention to the achievements made by individuals and businesses in the cannabis industry, and to celebrate the thing it loves most: cannabis! These days, there are a plethora of awards, cups, competitions, and expos, but not so long ago, this wasn’t the case.

In this article, we take a look at the still-developing history of cannabis cups, explore their significance in the world today, and ponder what they might offer in the future. We’ll then indulge ourselves a little by looking at the various awards we at Royal Queen Seeds have stacked up over the years.


History of Cannabis Cups

Cannabis cups are just under 40 years old, making them a pretty recent phenomenon. So we don’t need to delve too far back in time to explore their entire history and evolution. Of course, it may well be that other cultures have celebrated cannabis in their own, equivalent ways, but here we’re looking at a decidedly capitalist and contemporary sort of celebration.

First Cannabis Cup

Origins and Underground Beginnings

Cannabis cups started as underground events in the late 1980s, and mostly brought together illicit growers and users. These events were primarily designed to celebrate cannabis culture and the best the industry had to offer. The first ever cannabis cup was held in Amsterdam in November of 1988 and initiated by Steven Hager of High Times magazine.

Though it took place in Amsterdam, where cannabis was somewhat legal in the 80s, this sort of public celebration of a mostly illegal drug was still a risky endeavour. Nevertheless, it can be seen as a landmark moment for cannabis culture, as it was one of the first times that people publicly gathered together to share and celebrate their love of this plant in an organised and semi-official capacity.

Evolution and Regulation

Over the years, cannabis cups have evolved from covert gatherings to highly publicised and regulated events. With the gradual legalization of cannabis in various parts of the world, these cups have become more mainstream, attracting a global audience and participants from across the entire cannabis industry.

There are now cannabis cups and expos all over the world. There are still a few big names, such as the original High Times Cannabis Cup, and many lesser-known ones too. But wherever you are and whatever you’re into, there’s probably something happening—even if it’s still quite underground.

Types of Cannabis Cups

Cannabis cups tend to follow a similar outline, with a range of categories and criteria. Usually, the aim of a cup is to showcase the best cannabis flower, cannabis-derived products, and genetics available at the present time.

Categories and Judging Criteria

Each cup has its own categories and judging criteria, and these evolve over time as the cannabis world continuously innovates how we grow and consume weed.

Cannabis cups today can feature a variety of categories including best strain, edible, and concentrate. Judges, often experts in different areas of the cannabis field, assess entries based on potency, aroma, flavour, and the innovation of the products. As the understanding of cannabis has deepened, with a recent focus on terpene profiles and cannabinoid combinations, the judging criteria reflects a more nuanced interpretation of the plant.

However, it isn’t only dispensary-ready flower and concentrates that capture the judges' attention; awards also go out to the best of the best in the world of cannabis breeding and seed distribution, as well as branding and PR, advocacy, apparel/merchandise, and media. As the world of weed grows, so too do the categories at cannabis cups!

Some of the most common categories at a given cannabis cup might be:

  • Best indica flower
  • Best sativa flower
  • Best hybrid flower
  • Best solvent concentrates
  • Best non-solvent concentrates
  • Best vape pens and cartridges
  • Best edibles
  • Best sublinguals, capsules, tinctures, and topicals
  • Best seed bank
  • Best breeder
Best seedbank

Trends and Recent Winners

In recent years, trends in cannabis cup winners have shifted towards high THC levels and sugary flavour profiles, as these tend to be what the consumer is most interested in. Indeed, many of the strains that take home the top prizes at these events feature exceptional potency (THC levels at or exceeding 30%) and/or unique flavours reminiscent of candy or baked goods. A recent cup winner that personifies this is Runtz, a strain that went viral on social media in the early 2020s.

Legendary Strains and Their Legacy

Cannabis cup-winning strains set the benchmark for the weed of the future. Once these strains are given mainstream attention, they are often used as the genetic foundation to create other strains and perpetuate trends in the type of cannabis you can grow and find at dispensaries. Take for example the recent “dessert strain” boom, in which cup-winning cultivars bearing names like “Cookies”, “Gelato”, and “Cake” seem to dominate the offerings.

Legendary cup-winning strains like White Widow, OG Kush, and Amnesia Haze have gained legendary status and have significantly influenced cannabis breeding trends worldwide. If you look at the genetic heritage of most popular cannabis strains today, you’re likely to find White Widow, Kush, or Haze lurking somewhere. Despite the sheer number of strains available today, it’s surprising how many have emerged from the same few strains.

Cannabis Cups Today

As mentioned, there are many cannabis cups around today, but a few stand out as being particularly respected, and can bring a cannabis strain, product, or breeder to new heights of acclaim and fame among the cannabis-using public.

Which Cannabis Cup Is the Most Prestigious?

As the first official cannabis cup sponsor and as a juggernaut in the world of weed media, the High Times Cannabis Cup series (which now takes place in various locations around the globe) is perhaps the most storied, and likely the most prestigious, cannabis cup. However, other events are right on High Times’ heels, including the Emerald Cup, the International Cannabis Awards, and Spannabis. Others include the EMJAYS and the Highlife Cup, to name but two more.

Royal Queen Seeds' Awards

Royal Queen Seeds has been a notable cannabis cup participant and winner of a variety of awards stretching back quite some years now. Recently, we won the title of "Best Seed Bank" at Spannabis 2024, which is surely something to be proud of.

Other victories include:

  • International Cannabis Awards: Best Seed Bank/Breeder (2024)
  • EMJAYS: Best Cannabis Seed Bank (2023)
  • Spannabis: Best Seed Bank (2019)
  • Highlife Cannabis Cup: Common Weed Cultured in Soil (2019)
  • Soft secrets: European Plant of the Year – New Strains (2019)
  • Indicasativa Trade Fair: Best Seed Bank (2019)

And that’s not all—here are our award-winning cannabis strains:

It’s not in good character to boast, so we’ll let the awards speak for themselves.

About Us Trophy Room

Cannabis Cups of the Future

The future of cannabis cups looks promising, with a potentially positive impact from evolving legislation worldwide and an ever-growing interest in the cannabis plant. As more regions legalize cannabis, the scope and scale of these events are likely to increase, and more people are likely to pay attention. What’s more, as cannabis cultivation becomes more accessible, there will be more and more strains and products being showcased, which only bodes well for the world of weed.

In the United States, cannabis cups are adapting to changing consumer behaviours, with a growing preference for medicinal and wellness-oriented products. How these trends will influence future cannabis cups remains a key area of interest, but we can be sure that as consumer behaviours change, so too will the criteria of these awards.

Cannabis Cups: An Upward Trajectory

Cannabis cups not only celebrate the best in cannabis, but also spur innovation and set quality standards across the industry. As we look to the future, events like these will continue to play a crucial role in shaping the landscape of cannabis culture, and also reflecting and recording changes taking place within the wider community. With companies like Royal Queen Seeds at the forefront of these changes, the evolution of cannabis cups is bound to be as dynamic as the plant they celebrate.

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Privacy Policy - Royal Queen Seeds

To ensure a safe online environment and guarantee adequate data protection, we strictly comply with all legal requirements. In this privacy statement, we provide information about how and for what purpose data is collected, safety measures, storage periods and contact details.


COMPANY NAME: SNORKEL SPAIN, SL (hereinafter ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS)

C/ Vilar d'Abdelà, 5 (nave 1) CP: 08170 de Montornès del Vallès

+34 937 379 846

support@royalqueenseeds.com


The present Privacy Policy sets out the terms on which we will treat personal data at ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS; this includes any personal data collected through our website https://www.royalqueenseeds.com/ as well as any other data we process in the course of our business activities.

ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS collects the following personal data for the purposes listed below:

SECTION 1 – PERSONAL INFORMATION WE COLLECT

1.1 Account purchases

Account purchases can only be made if you are in possession of a personal account. When you create an account or purchase something from our shop, as part of the buying and selling process we collect the following personal information that you provide to us:

This information is required for delivery. In addition, when you browse our shop, we automatically receive the Internet Protocol (IP) address of your computer. Based on this information, we can optimise your online experience and at the same time protect our online environment.

Purpose of data collection

We collect and store account-related data for the following purposes:

(a) to carry out obligations arising from any contracts between you and us, and to provide you with information, products and services that you may request from us;

(b) to set up, manage and communicate with you about your account and your orders;

(c) to conduct market research and analysis;

(d) to confirm your age and identity, and to detect and prevent fraud.

1.2 Newsletters

With your explicit permission, we may send you newsletters about our shop, new products and other updates. We send newsletters based on your explicit consent. In the event that you purchase a product, and in accordance with current regulations, we may send you commercial communications in accordance with the legitimate interest of our company, always about products or services similar to those you have purchased or contracted. In any case, you may exercise your right of opposition through the channels announced in this Privacy Policy. The following information is collected in relation to the newsletter:

We do not need to know the sex of the person in order to send the newsletter (data minimisation: by law we must ask for data that is strictly necessary to provide the service, and in this case knowing the sex is not necessary to send the newsletter).

Purpose of data collection

The data collected is used to:

(a) personalise our emails, including your name and gender;

(b) provide gender-specific content.

You can withdraw your consent at any time by using the link provided in the newsletter or the contact information provided in section 2.

1.3 Customer service and contact form

In order to provide appropriate support, our customer service employees have access to information related to the account. Consequently, their support will be highly effective and friendly. The data provided in our contact form is used by our CRM provider, SuperOffice. We will only use your details to respond to your message.

SECTION 2 – LEGITIMATE INTEREST

If you have purchased any of our products, please note that we may process your personal data for promotional purposes, based on Royal Queen Seeds' legitimate interest only to offer you products or services from our company and about products or services similar to those you have purchased. You may exercise your right to opt out of future messages by the means set out in this Privacy Policy or through any notification you receive.

2.1 How do you withdraw consent?

If you change your mind, you can withdraw your consent for us to contact you for the purpose of collecting, using, or disclosing your data at any time by reaching out to us at: support@royalqueenseeds.com.

SECTION 3 – DISCLOSURE

We may disclose your personal information if we are required to do so by law or if you breach our Terms of Service.

SECTION 4 – HOW LONG DO WE KEEP YOUR DATA?

At Royal Queen Seeds, we will not retain your data for longer than is necessary for the purposes described in this Policy. Different retention periods apply for different types of data; however, the longest period we will normally hold any personal data is 10 years.

4.1 Account information

Data relating to the account remains relevant for as long as the consumer is in possession of an account. Therefore, the data remains documented for as long as the account exists. When our customers delete an account, the associated data will be deleted within a reasonable period of time. Requests regarding the inspection or correction of stored personal data or the deletion of an account can be sent to support@royalqueenseeds.com.

4.2 Newsletters

In the event that you give us your consent to inform you about our products or services, we will keep your data until you express your wish not to receive any further communications from us. However, we regularly (every month) carry out a relevance check. Registered customers (and their personal information) will be deleted whenever customers do not reply to our request. In addition, our newsletter mailing has an opt-out feature. Consumers can withdraw their consent by using this opt-out feature.

SECTION 5 – COOKIES

Cookies are small information files that notify your computer of previous interactions with our website. These cookies are stored on your hard drive, not on our website. Essentially, when you use our website, your computer displays its cookies to us, informing our site that you have visited before. This allows our website to function more quickly and remember aspects related to your previous visits (such as your username), making your experience more convenient. At Royal Queen Seeds, we use two types of cookies: functional and analytical.

5.1 Functional Cookies

Functional cookies are used to enhance your online experience. Among other things, these cookies track what is added to your shopping cart. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

5.2 Analytical Cookies

Analytical cookies are used for research and market analysis. The data collected with these analytical cookies is anonymous, making it unusable for third parties. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

SECTION 5 – THIRD-PARTY SERVICES

Third-party services are required to conduct transactions and provide our services. In general, the third-party providers we use will only collect, use and disclose your information to the extent necessary to enable them to perform the services they provide to us.

However, certain third-party service providers, such as payment gateways and other payment transaction processors, have their own privacy policies regarding the information we must provide to them for your transactions.

We encourage you to read the privacy policies of these providers so that you can understand how these providers will handle your personal information.

In particular, certain suppliers may be located or have facilities located in a different jurisdiction than yours or ours. Therefore, if you choose to proceed with a transaction involving the services of a third party, your information may be subject to the laws of the jurisdiction in which that service provider or its facilities are located.

Once you leave our website or are redirected to a third-party website or application, you are no longer governed by this Privacy Policy or the Terms of Service of our website.

Web analytics service (anonymous data)

On this website we have integrated an element of a web analytics service (with anonymisation functionality). Web analytics can be defined as the gathering, processing and analysis of data about the behaviour of visitors to websites. An analytics service collects, among other things, data about which website a person came from (the so-called referrer), which sub-pages they visited or how often and for how long they visited a sub-page. Web analytics is mainly used for website optimisation and for a cost–benefit analysis of internet advertising.

Courier service

To complete deliveries we use a courier service. This courier service carries out the delivery between our company and the consumer's home. To complete these logistics, the company requires access to the consumer's name and address information.

Mailing service

Royal Queen Seeds uses a third-party mail service provider to send its newsletter. This provider has access to limited account information related to opt-in consent (e.g. email address).

Marketing services

Royal Queen Seeds has the support of a company that specialises in marketing and communication activities. Their access to personal information is very limited and mostly anonymous.

Payment services

At Royal Queen Seeds we use external payment services to handle our transactions (e.g. credit card payments).

SECTION 6 – SECURITY

To protect your personal information, we take reasonable precautions and follow industry standard best practices to ensure that it is not inappropriately lost, misused, accessed, disclosed, altered or destroyed.

If you provide us with your credit card information, the information is encrypted using secure socket layer technology (SSL) and stored using AES-256 encryption. Although no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, we follow all PCI-DSS requirements and implement additional industry standards that are commonly accepted. Information related to the account is protected with a hashing method. This method transforms the information into a generated hash. As a result, confidential information is protected and invisible, even to us. In addition, our databases are exceptionally protected against unauthorised access. For example, access to the database is only possible and permitted via approved IP addresses (e.g. from Royal Queen Seeds headquarters). Other attempts and addresses are rejected at all times.

Furthermore, data is anonymised as much as possible, so it cannot be directly linked to a specific consumer. With this data, however, we may be able to carry out market research and analysis. In addition, the third parties concerned (e.g. mailing service) are examined prior to our collaboration, comply with the GDPR from the EU and receive a processing agreement. Within Royal Queen Seeds, employees are assigned different access permissions. Specific permission provides access only to information that is strictly required to perform a task. Digital security measures are subject to change and must meet high requirements to ensure the safety of online customers. That is why, at Royal Queen Seeds, we appoint a security officer. Regular verification and improvement of security measures (where necessary) are part of the role.

SECTION 7 – CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

We reserve the right to modify this Privacy Policy at any time, so please check back regularly. Changes and clarifications will be effective immediately upon being published on the Website. If we make substantial changes to this policy, we will notify you here that it has been updated so you will know what information we collect, how we use it and under what circumstances, if any, we use and/or disclose it.

SECTION 8 – YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO: