Third Annual Best Meds Competition

For the past three years, Entrepreneurs Robert and Sarah Tillery (Blazing Events, Sticky Fingers, Sav-A-Bowl and Club 710) have been hosting the “Best Meds” contest in Colorado Springs. The event has always been open to Medical Marijauna centers throughout Colorado. So far, only Colorado Springs centers and a few centers in the mountain regions have participated in the annual contest. Judging packets were available for sale to patients of interest at participating centers and were scored and tallied before the event that took place on September 19th.

This year’s event was hosted at “Uncle Fred’s Tavern II,” as was last years. Of the 185 judge’s packs that were made, over 70 packets were returned with scores, making it approximately 12-18 judges per sample packet. Each packet contained samples of Sativa, Indica, Hybrid, Kush and concentrates for judging and varied on which strains were given. Packets were available at participating centers for $25, $35 and $50. Eight different samples were provided in each packet and the cost reflected the number of strains in each one.

Judges were given two weeks to sample the strains and were asked to have a “clear and objective mind” and “not to try all the samples in one day.” “We wanted the Judges to take their time and have enough time to sample each strain fairly” Rob explains. “If a Judge only has a few days to try everything it hardly seems objective or fair if you are trying one strain after the other. You can’t really get a good idea of how a strain works or tastes by doing it that way. When judging, one really needs to take the time to try everything out properly in order to come to a fair and objective conclusion.”

Each sample was numbered so the judges could not tell from which centers each of the samples came, nor what strains they were. Judges were asked to use the provided score card to judge on appearance, taste, smell, potency, length of effect, experience of high and onset time (the time it takes for euphoria). The total scoring of the individual judges’ scores were combined to come to the end result for each winning strain. This year brought in some new participants and new winners! The first-time winners for this year are Happy Buddha, Eagles Nest Wellness, JP Wellness and Mountain Med Club.

Several of this year’s winners won by fractions of points over the next competitor. “There were some close ones this time around; a few upsets for sure! There was a small entry fee into the contest. However, depending on the amount of judging packets each center sold, that fee could be evened out through packet sales. This contest gives the centers a chance to showcase their strains to the patients and network with other centers,” states Rob.

Sponsors for this year’s event included Canna Caregivers, Briargate Wellness, The Grow Store, Medical Alternatives, The Healing Canna, Green Monster Glass and Uncle Fred’s Tavern II. Rob and Sarah are already busy planning next year’s Med contest while they are also in the process of reopening Club 710, the first recreational cannabis club in Colorado Springs. “It takes a ton of planning for an event such as this. We have Sponsors and participants to approach, a location to set, advertising, booklets to make, packets, etc. It takes about a year to plan it right,” Rob explains.

Congratulations to all of this year’s winners! Some very impressive numbers, here!

I don’t know about any of you, but I, for one, will be visiting each of these Centers to try out the winning goods, and I advise you all to do the same, before they are gone!

And this year’s winners are:

Sativa
1st- Mountain Med Club (Tangerine Haze) 7.27

2nd- Canna Caregivers (Canna Haze) 6.682

3rd- Eagles Nest Wellness (Sour Diesel) 6.603175

Indica
1st- Canna caregivers (Blue Cheese) 6.955

2nd- The Healing Canna (Colorado Crippler) 6.682

3rd- The Canna Center (Deep Purple) 6.603175 and JP Wellness (Lavender) 6.603175 (tie)

Hybrid
1st-Briargate Wellness (Cheese Wreck, also won for 3.384 one hit wonder) 7.08 Canna Caregivers Sativa (Canna Haze 3.388 and longest lasting high)

2nd-The Canna Center (Canna Fruit) 7.04

3rd-Canna Meds (Tangerine) 6.979 Happy Buddha (Purple Voodoo) 6.969

Kush
1st-The Healing Canna (Bubbas Gift 7.901- best looking 9.06, best smell 8.43, best experience 7.93)

2nd- The Canna Center (Black water Kush, best taste and potency) 7.345

3rd- Canna Caregivers (Afghani Kush) 7.339

Concentrates
1st- Canna Caregivers (bubble hash 8.16, potency 8.125, best experience 8.5, longest high 8.125)

2nd- The Healing Canna- (Mob boss wax, potency 8.125, best smelling concentrate) 7.98

3rd- JP Wellness (Super Silver Haze x Larry Og mixed with Silver Kush Shatter 7.5, one hit concentrate 2.3, There was a 2.75 tie) best looking (8.5 tie and taste 7.75)

(c) The Daily Doobie – Read entire story here.