Tamales, gourmet ice cream, multi-colored slushy mixes and chocolate fondue. That’s not what most people would think of if they were invited to the HempCon Kush Cup which took place Oct. 17-19 at the NOS Event Center in San Bernardino, California
Over the past few years, cannabis events in Southern California have focused mainly on concentrates of various forms and designs. Dabs and doing dabs were the “in” thing, but it looks like the winds of change are moving again.
Edibles of every imaginable kind were available at the Kush Cup and at times I thought I was at a local street food market instead of a cannabis patient event. Popcorn, handcrafted sodas, “weed” beef jerky and hash-flavored sweet chiles made this event a culinary treat. With the legalization of cannabis in Colorado and Washington, THC-infused products are becoming more and more popular. New patients feel safer using them and savvy companies are now offering smaller dosage portions for patients with a lower tolerance.
Kush Cup Best Edible winner Isaac Lappert of Lappert's Ice Cream in Richmond, California since 1980 has expanded the business to include the Cannabis Creamery. He makes his product in a staunchly regulated professional kitchen. It's the best medicated ice cream this edible lover has ever consumed. Lappert has a dream to open the country’s first medicated-only ice cream parlor. His was the most popular edible at the festival, so it appears he has a good selling point.
The Kush Cup did have a large amount of quality flowers and concentrates. Alpha Medic Inc. won Best Shatter and Best Flower Sativa with their amazing Purple Coma. Out of San Diego, this company's winning strain is high in terpene. Various oils, butters and waxes were plentiful as was an everpresent cloud of smoke in the air. Eclectic live music and entertainment were provided on the main stage as various MCs gave away tons of free stuff. But it was really all about the edibles at the 2014 event.
