While cannabis is all about sharing and collaboration, the spirit of competition has brought out some of the best flavors and highs to one place, as well as given winners both a sense of validation and a badge of prestige for their work. While some question the place and validity of competitions, it can’t be denied that they generate excitement and awareness for high-quality cannabis. Solventless competitions, such as Ego Clash and The Hashish Inn’s Smoking Jacket, have carved a more recent niche than traditional Cannabis Cups, with slightly less saturation for entrants to contend with, and have popped up across the West Coast, Michigan, Maine, and even internationally, paying homage to the global hash culture.
Making Midwestern History
On February 24, 2024, my home state of Illinois had its first rosin competition exclusive to in-state hashmakers (with the notably earned exception of Meltwaukee, as Wisconsin’s legal status is far more restrictive than Illinois’. Happy to have ya, Melt!). The event was organized and hosted by Bob’s Exotics and Prairie Grass Selections, who ensured the program flowed smoothly. Much of the resin on display was single-source, though the rules allowed for out-of-state sourcing of flower too. Judges, consisting of a range of venerated hashmakers, content creators, event hosts, and experienced vendors picked up their sample kits of entries labeled anonymously with letters A-V about a week prior to the award ceremony. Their scores, out of 100, included points assigned for smell, taste, melt quality, effect, and presentation. Bob of Bob’s Exotics told THC that he wants to see as many profiles and presentations as possible. “A big focus of this competition is openness and education,” he says. “We’re hoping people come with an open mind and an eclectic taste.”
At the award ceremony, held at Blue Island Beer Company just south of Chicago, vendors lined the walls selling rosin, flower, seeds, arts and crafts, vintage paraphernalia, and food that only tasted better as the night went on. A dab bar operated by two tireless dabristas served as the collection point for People’s Choice votes, allowing anybody with the patience and lung capacity to try as many entries as they desired.
Tropical fruit was the dominant smell from the sampling board, with hints of gas and funk peeking through the veil. Though packed to capacity, most competitors were happily handing out dabs from their personal jars and it was possible, albeit challenging, to find rare pockets of breathing and sitting room to enjoy some freshly-scored terps.
The Main Event
Before the winners were announced, regenerative Michigan hashers Terp Wizard and Swamp Hash, along with Certified Ganjier Derek Oldham, held a discussion panel where they covered plant selection, washing technique, and DEM Pure certification. With anticipation and smoke hanging heavy in the air, Bob’s Exotics and judge Jimbabwe94 read off the third, second, and first place winners, each of which received a custom glass trichome trophy from Many Moons Glass, not to mention a deluge of DMs.
1st Place – Gotham Solventless, Satsuma Sherbert cold cure [Entry C]
2nd Place – Midwest Meltz, Trop Punch Bx1 (air-dried) cold cure [Entry A]
3rd Place – Yoi Kemuri, Papaya fresh press [Entry J]
People’s Choice – OG Sorcery, Candy Fumez cold cure [Entry K]
This event marks a major milestone for the Illinois solventless community, and though some of the event’s logistics, namely crowd density, could be better addressed for next time, it was truly a testament to the size and enthusiasm of the heady masses in the Prairie State.
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