by Brittney Graham
Oklahoma’s very own Cannabis Championship & Harvest Celebration is kicking off its inaugural celebration at the legendary Tumbleweed Dance Hall on December 13th-14th and it is so close we can almost taste it! As sponsors of this down-home event, we wanted to share with our readers what makes us so excited for this cup and what sets it apart from other competitions and events the Oklahoma Cannabis community has experienced over the past year. Music, food, the championship, and the spirit of competition are just a part of the checklist of reasons to attend, so let’s get to it!
Cannabis growers, processors, and enthusiasts are invited to come together in the spirit of competition, collaboration, and of course celebration of Oklahoma’s growing cannabis community. To be very clear, The Cowboy Cup is FOR Oklahoma BY Oklahomans. This is, in my opinion, one of the most amazing aspects of this event. Patients benefit from this motto as there will be handicap accessibility, shuttles to and from hotels around Stillwater, and a safe environment to enjoy cannabis culture. Vendor tents will be heated to accommodate for the cold December chill and enough food trucks will be onsite to feed the number of patrons expected.
Being for Oklahomans means that the events taking place at The Cowboy Cup will benefit the Oklahoma Community as a whole and not just the Cannabis community. For example, I had the opportunity to speak with Daniel Lewis about an amazing philanthropic idea that will come into fruition at the cup. Daniel and his team will be choosing around six artists and four glassblowers to do an exhibition free of charge to show off their creations. All that is asked in return is that the artists create one live piece during the weekend, and have it auctioned for charity during the festivities. In addition, to help Oklahomans still in need of doctor’s recommendations, Presto Doctors will be holding a patient drive during the event as well.
Oklahoma licensed commercial cannabis growers and processors have been entering samples for the following judging categories; Flower, concentrates, edibles, tinctures, CBD, and topicals. Of course, each category has subcategories such as the breakdown in the flower portion of the championship which is indoor, sun grown, light assist, and grand champion flower. Deadlines for all samples except sun grown flower passed on the first of this month but if you are planning on submitting your sun grown, you have until November 30th.
The judging process was done by using an open judge application and a group of diverse judges were chosen. The Cowboy Cup has been very upfront about the fact that they will allow no collusion or tampering with the judging process, so much so, that entries will be judged using two methods. The first is qualitative; which means appearance, aroma, taste, and experience will be scored by the handpicked and interviewed judges. The second is quantitative: Cannabinoid levels, and all entries are being tested by F.A.S.T labs to OMMA compliance standards.
To be more specific, during the testing process, F.A.S.T labs will take the entries and make a little black book of names to numbers. When the judges that were chosen mark their scores on each entry it will be to a number not a name and Daniel will send the numbers to the lab so that they can match each score to the correct name. At this point, cards will be printed with the names of the winners for each category, sealed in envelopes, picked up by Daniel himself and not opened until the award ceremony.
Daniel has also made comments on those expecting to buy their way into a win, “We will hold a fair, clean, and honest competition where every entrant will have to same opportunity to win regardless of status as a vendor or sponsor.” This means everyone who enters has the same fair chances of winning, regardless of how much money or notoriety they do or do not have. Which is honestly how it should be for every cannabis competition. Winners will gain recognition as a top Oklahoma grower or processor earning them greater demand and higher prices for their wholesale products. And it will all be done with integrity and grit, the Sooner way!
If good vibes and great tunes are on your checklist then the music line up will have you soaring! On Friday the Chris Garrett Band, Jack Waters and the Unemployed, Watermelon Slim, The Brothers Moore, and Sativa Prophets will be gracing the stage. On Saturday, the music will be on two stages; the Cannapages main stage with Brujo Roots, Downbeat, Taddy Porter, BC and the Big Rig and the Helix Lounge stage with Joe Mack, Henna Roso, The Dirty Little Bettys, Okie Noodlers, and The Stylees. The music in the lounge will have a more relaxed feel throughout the day with the main stage kicking of with the Rock N’ Roll after the awards Ceremony. Keep in mind you will need to purchase a VIP ticket to watch both days of the music line up, receive a swag bag, and be able to attend a free class.
Speaking of tickets, The Cowboy Cup has limited tickets for sale in the general admission and VIP categories. This is done to ensure that everyone who attends is able to enjoy the event and not stuck in long never-ending lines the entire time. Tickets are available for purchase online at the CowboyCup.com and the Tumbleweed website. If you are looking for a fun, laid back, no pressure environment to learn more about the Oklahoma Cannabis culture and community then this is the event for you!
FESTIVAL DETAILS
The Inaugural Cowboy Cup Cannabis Championship and Harvest Festival
Dates: Friday, Dec. 13, 2019 – Vendor Night (VIP Passes Only): 4 p.m. to close.
Saturday, Dec. 14, 2019: 11 a.m. to close (Early entry for VIP passes at 10 a.m.)
Venue: The Tumbleweed Dance Hall and Concert Arena
Address: Lakeview &, N Country Club Rd, Stillwater, OK 74075
Admission: VIP Passes – $110, General Admission $45
Age restrictions: 18+
Connect:
Website: www.CowboyCup.com
Facebook: facebook.com/TheCowboyCup
Instagram: instagram.com/cowboy_cup/
Hashtag: #CowboyCup
