Today, there are several High Times Cannabis Cup events around the world exalting the best the industry has to offer. But the OG Cup is the one first held in Amsterdam, over 30 years ago. It’s been a long journey, both for the Cup and for cannabis on a global scale. As we prepare to return to Amsterdam July 13-15, let’s take a look back at how we got here.
Cannabis Cup was founded by High Times’ then-editor-in-chief Steven Hager, who was inspired by stories of NorCal harvest festivals at which growers would get together and compare that year’s crops. Hager had previously traveled to the Netherlands in 1986 to write a feature on cannabis breeder Nevil Schoenmakers, who founded the first cannabis seedbank, and his infamous ‘cannabis castle.’
While the United States has made great strides in legalization in various states, it’s still rare to find a place where you can both buy and then immediately enjoy your flower. However, recreational consumption of cannabis in “coffeeshops” has been tolerated in the Netherlands since 1976. Amsterdam has the highest concentration of these shops, with well over 100 operating today. The ability to consume within these social environments—without fear of persecution—was one of the chief reasons why Amsterdam was chosen as the site of the very first competition in 1988, and it remains a huge draw for attendees today.
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High Times Senior Cultivation Editor Danny Danko first attended a Cannabis Cup in the late 90s when working a booth for a hemp company. Since 2000, he’s been to a dozen or so Amsterdam Cannabis Cups, and has occasionally co-hosted the awards ceremony. He says he can still remember the freedom he felt his first time in Amsterdam.
“I ordered cannabis from