By Chet Tucker
We are taking a slight turn into the celebration side of the Freedom Flower. As we continue to document the breaking through of stigmas and controlled regulatory “law” ceilings, I think it’s important to take pause and celebrate the victories. To me, one of the single grandest victories has been the fact that we have a legitimate and honed in cannabis competition that brings the best of the best to the yard. To boot, it keeps challenging quality improvement here in the central heartbeat of American cannabis, all while creating a gathering of a cannabis community that shows up in supportive droves to support the right to choose plant-based medicinals.
I met Daniel Lewis in the spring of 2019 at a Braum’s (I mean that’s as Oklahoman as it gets right?) and within moments I understood his vision and passion for creating an “Emerald Cup” in the heart of Oklahoma. Loaded with a well-prepared binder of sponsorship opportunities and band line up, he shared that his Cowboy Cup would be held at the iconic Tumbleweed Dancehall in Stillwater. A quick brain check and I was like, great venue, well located between Tulsa and OKC, and this guy has had experience working at the biggest cannabis events in the nation. I was in and he accepted me as an ongoing collaborator and friend.
Fast forward to 2022 and the Cowboy Cup has established itself as the revered competition in the state. With entries and vendors nearly doubling year over year, it’s clear that the well ran event is the gold standard of cannabis events in Oklahoma and beyond. Complete with music, VIP lounges, eating and smoking lounges, and an overall freedom vibe that moves with anyone that flows into the venue, “The Cup” is an all inclusive family of flower and freedom.
For the plethora of cannabis products and vendors, the Cowboy Cup offers competition categories that include indoor flower, solvent and solventless hash, pre-rolls, tinctures, edibles, and topicals as well as sun-grown and sun-grown assist flower categories. Layer in the fact that this year’s competition will include Ganjier judging and you’ve found yourself mixed into one of the most comprehensive and experienced set of judging that any cannabis competition could showcase. And the icing on the cake is this isn’t a corporate bought championship. This is as blind of a competition that state regulations could allow and certainly one that can’t be bought. It’s the cowboy way.
All entries are submitted via Metrc compliant means via drop off at The Lettuce Bar (and their processing arm, Lettuce Depot). Submissions are processed into compliant judge packs that will be available through The Lettuce Bar 7-10 days or so after submissions are entered. Each set of entry dates will include all 2021 first place winners and their showcase of award-winning products. Those participating winners will have a booth and products available at The Lettuce Bar on each final day Saturday of submissions (9/24, 10/1, and 11/12). Check www.cowboycup.com for entry details for submission to Lettuce Depot (PAAA) but the submission dates are as follows:
Location for competition entry drop off:
Lettuce Smoke Canna Co.
12007 NE 23rd St
Choctaw, OK 73020
@the_lettuce_bar
Indoor Flower: Sept 22nd- Saturday Sept. 24th (10AM-6PM)
All other products: Sept. 29th-Oct 1st (10AM-6PM)
Sun-Grown & Sun-Grown Assist: Nov. 10th-12th (10AM-6PM)
*Judge dates for pick-ups will be communicated via email
Cowboy Cup Championship and Celebration Festival
@Tumbleweed Dancehall – Stillwater, OK
Friday and Saturday, Dec. 2nd and 3rd, 2022