The third annual 420 Expo cannabis convention for consumers is holding the 1st legal NJ cannabis cup this year.
It will be in Edison at the New Jersey Convention and Exposition Center, Sept. 13-15, 2024. Cannabis cups are popular in the cannabis community across the country.
The BYOC (Bring Your Own Cannabis) public event in Edison will bring together cannabis enthusiasts over the age of 21 for three days of special entertainment and guest appearances, seminars and panel discussions, contests, food trucks, live music, and giveaways, along with a variety of vendors from across the country.
“We are proudly celebrating all things cannabis at one of the fastest growing canna-conference events on the Northeast Coast,” said Dan Davis, director of operations at Three Expo Events and co-creator of the 420 Expo.
Legal NJ Cannabis Cup Details
With judging open to the public, categories include Indica, Sativa, Hybrid, Non-Infused Prerolls, Infused Prerolls, and Cartridges. Each judge’s kit includes one free general admission ticket.
Honey Grove dispensary in Gloucester Township in South Jersey and NJ Leaf dispensary in Freehold in Central Jersey are selling the kits.
“This is a great opportunity for new cultivators to get their products in the hands of cannabis connoisseurs and those curious about the cannabis industry,” said noted writer and cannabis cup promoter Bobby Nuggz of High End Events. His company organized the NJ Cannabis Cup.
“Getting the chance to work with dispensaries such as Honeygrove and NJ Leaf has been an honor. Their love for the community and culture is tremendous and is exactly the type of people we try to align ourselves with to produce these competitons. Without their help and partnership, this would not be at all possible,” he added.
“Allowing the public to judge entries adds another layer of depth to a quickly evolving market,” Nuggz argued.
Cannabis consumers throughout the Garden State can pick up limited-edition Judge’s Kits from statewide licensed cultivators for the first-of-its-kind “420 Expo Cannabis Cup”
NJ Cannabis Cup Categories for the People’s Competition
Cannabis enthusiasts over the age of 21 are welcome to judge a range of legal New Jersey cannabis products.
“We’re breaking new ground here,” Bobby Nuggz declared.
Each Judge’s Kit includes one free general admission ticket to the 420 Expo.
“This is a perfect opportunity for these cultivators to get products in the consumers’ hands,” he explained.
Those who purchase a judging kit can enter opinions online, including through a smartphone, until September 12th.
It’s $140 a kit for a category of products.
“We’re just proud and honored to bring one of the competitions of its kind to the New Jersey market,” Bobby Nuggz said.
The judging criteria are taste, smell, look and appeal, strength, and the sight of packaging. The QR code on the kit will have the survey to judge them.
He thought voters should include community involvement as part of the packaging category. Nuggz said it makes it unique from most other cannabis cups across the country.
The 1st 2nd and 3rd place category winners will be awarded.
Organizing the 1st Legal NJ Cannabis Cup
420 Expo Cannabis Cup entries were through the legal product tracking system METRC to the licensed New Jersey dispensaries selling judging kits. All necessary test results were attached to each unit and retail packaging for sale.
It will not be the first New Jersey Cannabis Cup. Previously the radical activist group Sativa Cross has held underground legacy cups in Jersey. The group has been part of the 420 Expo since its beginning in 2022, promoting its organization and goals of advocating and helping medical cannabis patients.
The 420 Expo Cup competitors include locally owned companies, small cannabis corporations that are Multi-State Operators (MSOs), and large MSOs.
A gram of flower will be sold from each competitor.
While edibles like gummies, brownies, and chocolate are not being judged this year, they might be included next year.
NJ Cannabis Cup Categories
Sativa Flower
- Garden Greens | Super Lemon Haze
- Garden Greens | Zorro
- Full Tilt | Peach Milano
- Hamilton Farms | White Blizzard
- Brighterside (a small MSO) | GH1
- Clade9 (a small MSO) | J1
- Rythm | White Durban
- Anthologie (an MSO) | AJs Sour Diesel
- Elyon (a small MSO) | Purple Sweet Tropical Paradise
- Elyon (a small MSO)| Watermelon Mimosa
Indica Flower
- Garden Greens | Kamikazi
- Garden Greens | Blueberry Cruffin
- Full Tilt | Frost Donke
- Hamilton Farms | Garlic Knot
- Brighterside (a small MSO) | Velvet OG
- EV LLC | Kush Mints
- Anthologie (an MSO) | Motorbreath
- Rythm (an MSO) | Animal Face
- Elyon (a small MSO)| GMO
- Elyon (a small MSO)| Motorhead
- Illicit (a small MSO)| GMO Cookies
Hybrid Flower
- Garden Greens Z Pie |
- Garden Greens | Grape Junky
- Brighterside (a small MSO) | Free Mac
- Clade9(a small MSO) | Diamond Dust
- Crops (an MSO) | Zummiez |
- Crops (an MSO)| Lime OG
- Anthologie (an MSO) | Mac n Jack
- Hamilton Farms | Kiwi Kandy
- Full Tilt | Jungle Butter
- Illicit (a small MSO) | Lemon Tree Punch
- Rythm (an MSO) | Afternoon Delight #4
Cartridges Category
- Fernway (a small MSO) | Red Headed Stranger | 0.5g Cartridge
- Timeless (an MSO) | Tokyo | 0.5g Cartridge
- Timeless (an MSO) | Jungle Punch | 0.5g Cartridge
- MPX (an MSO) | Marmalade | 0.5g Rosin Disposable
Pre-Rolls
(Strain names available soon)
- Full Tilt
- Hamilton Farms
- Brighterside Farms (a small MSO)
- Brighterside Farms (a small MSO)
- Illict (a small MSO)
- Illict (a small MSO)
- Elyon (a small MSO)
- Elyon (a small MSO)
- Hillview Farms
- Crops (an MSO)
Infused Pre-Rolls
(available soon)
- Superflux (an MSO)
- Mudd Brothers (has an MSO deal).
- Rhythm (an MSO)
Ultimate Stoner Sesh in Edison
The 420 Expo will also feature an exhibition hall with more than 100 cannabis-related vendors, including dispensaries, CBD businesses, and accessories, food and beverages, clothing and apparel, jewelry, art, along with direct access to nonprofits and advocacy groups, legal advice for record expungements, and cannabis industry employment opportunities.
“The 420 Expo is a cannabis lover’s dream come true!” says J. Handy, co-creator of the 420 Expo and director at Three Expo Events.
All 420 expo cannabis convention attendees will have the opportunity to learn more about the booming industry with a full slate of programming at the expo’s seminars spotlighting a variety of subjects that include networking in cannabis, medical marijuana, social equity, legal rights, cooking with cannabis, and more.
There will be 30 interactive seminars for ticketholders. Roundtables and discussions anchored in cannabis narratives will focus on topics such as choosing the right strains, legal expungement, cannabis to help addiction and recovery, investments, cooking with cannabis, and travel, among others.
420 Expo 3rd Annual Cannabis Convention for Consumers
420 Expo is the largest cannabis convention consumer-based event in New Jersey. It’s also one of the few consumer-focused events. Most larger cannabis events in New Jersey are industry-centered conferences, political protests, or underground legacy markets and parties. Cannademix, which has moved away from its academic roots, is the likely exception.
In accordance with New Jersey state and local laws, people can legally consume their stash in a dedicated outdoor consumption area.
There will be plenty of food trucks for munchies nearby.
(Full disclosure: this is part of a cross-promotion deal between Heady NJ and the 420 Expo.)
