Wisps of marijuana smoke lingered in the air, backlit by orange, red and yellow lights that decorated the cavernous indoor main stage at the Emerald Cup, where awards were handed out Sunday afternoon to fan favorites and top scorers.
Hundreds of people filled the rows of seats at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds. Escaping the rain, they quietly but eagerly awaited to hear the winners.
In the licensed sun-grown category, meaning marijuana grown outdoors, Tar Hill of Mendocino County and Rebel Grown of Humboldt were runners-up to Humboldt’s Ridgeline Farms, which nabbed first place for its Green Lantern strain.
In the topical category, Newell’s Botanical won first place for its deep-skin, penetrating roll-on topical oil. Co-founder Chelsea Dudgeon, a Santa Rosa High School graduate, was in tears after being awarded the top prize.
“I do not know how we even survived this last year as a small family business. But now we are here as winners, and it is beyond humbling,” Dudgeon said while composing herself for photos.
Dudgeon, along with partner Newell Taylor, started the business in 2016. Together they create natural and organic skin, body and hair products infused with different levels of THC.
The words ‘love’ and ‘community’ were repeated dozens of times throughout the awards ceremony, as attendees cheered and cried alongside the winners.
Country music legend Willie Nelson also was honored at the event for his longtime cannabis activism. Nelson, who founded a recreational cannabis company named Willie’s
The 2018 Emerald Cup’s top three winners by category are listed below, with the company name, followed by the product name.
Licensed sun-grown:
1. Ridgeline Farms – Green Lantern
2. Rebel Grown – Double OG Chem #15
3. Tar Hill – Cherimoya
Licensed mixed light:
1. Tar Hill – Pink Lemonade
2. Josh D. – OG Kush Story
3. DEVI – Peanut Butter Breath
Personal sun-grown:
1. JD Lee – Chili Verde
2. Paula Hudgins – Wedding Cake
3. Cory Rodgers – Cherry Punch 15
Edibles:
1. Utopia – Raspberry Macarons
2. SolDaze – Tropical Mango Bites
3. Budlette Confections – Mellows Black Sesame
Tinctures:
1. Alchemy Jane – Create THC Tincture
2. OM Edibles – Nighttime Elixer
3. Humboldt Apothecary – Love Potion No. 7
Topicals:
1. Newell’s Botanicals – Deep Skin Penetrating Roll-on
2. OM – Lavender Bath Salts
3. CAD – Mimosa
Distillate:
1. Herer Group – The Original Jack Herer
2. Gold Drop/Lemon Tree/Blue River – Lemon Tree
3. Gold Drop/Bon Vivant/Blue River – Blueberry Muffin
CO2:
1. Peak – Huckleberry Zkittlez Amber
2. WildSeed – Candyland
3. Big Sur Extracts – Cloud Drop
Diamonds:
1. The Humboldt Cure – The Humboldt Cure Blend Diamonds
2. WildSeed, LLC – White Recluse Diamonds
3. NUG – White Buffalo OG Live Resin Diamonds
Live resin carts:
1. Fieldz Extracts – Zkittlez Sauce Pen
2. Friendly Farms – Forbidden Fruit
3. Fiddler’s Green – Rogue OG Kush
Rosin:
1. GDP Genetics – Super Glue
2. Fieldz – Zkittles Premium Rosin
3. Field Extracts – Papaya Premium Rosin
Sauce:
1. Humboldt Terp Council – Zkittlez Cake
2. Raw Garden – Zookies
3. Summit Boys – Sundae Driver
Shatter Batter:
1. Suprize Suprize – Cherry Tangerine
2. Suprize Suprize – Royal Kush BX1 “Badder”
3. Suprize Suprize – Holy Nana Crack Batter
Solventless:
1. Frosty – Papaya 120u
2. Tar Hill and Frosty – Tar Hill Pink Lemonade
3. Papa’s Select, in collaboration with Select Solventless grown by Emerald Queen Farms – GMO 1st Pull 120u Water Hash
All CBDs:
Co2/Distillate:
Gold Drop – Lemon Penny
Edibles:
1. Somatik – Goji Berry
2. OM Edibles – CBD Gummi Melange
3. Space Gems – VITA Gems
Tinctures:
1. Humboldt Apothecary – Relax
2. Fiddler’s Green – ACDC Rogue Tincture
3. Humboldt Harvest – 13:1 CBD Terpene Rich
Topical:
Om Edibles – Rose Geranium Bath Salt
Flower:
1. Molecular Farms – Blueberry Banana Bread
2. Molecular Farms – Dr. Fizz
3. Molecular Farms – Garlic Jam
Concentrate:
1. Sublime – Sleep
2. Sublime – High-C
3. WildSeed, LLC – Heritage OG – CBD
You can reach Staff Writer Alexandria Bordas at 707-521-5337 or alexandria.bordas@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @CrossingBordas
A longer version of this story originally ran at Pressdemocrat.com